Search results for "Biomedical Engineering"
showing 10 items of 2020 documents
Engineering CRISPR guide RNA riboswitches for in vivo applications
2019
CRISPR-based genome editing provides a simple and scalable toolbox for a variety of therapeutic and biotechnology applications. Whilst the fundamental properties of CRISPR proved easily transferable from the native prokaryotic hosts to eukaryotic and multicellular organisms, the tight control of the CRISPR-editing activity remains a major challenge. Here we summarise recent developments of CRISPR and riboswitch technologies and recommend novel functionalised synthetic-gRNA (sgRNA) designs to achieve inducible and spatiotemporal regulation of CRISPR-based genetic editors in response to cellular or extracellular stimuli. We believe that future advances of these tools will have major implicati…
Impact loading history modulates hip fracture load and location : A finite element simulation study of the proximal femur in female athletes
2018
Sideways falls impose high stress on the thin superolateral cortical bone of the femoral neck, the region regarded as a fracture-prone region of the hip. Exercise training is a natural mode of mechanical loading to make bone more robust. Exercise-induced adaptation of cortical bone along the femoral neck has been previously demonstrated. However, it is unknown whether this adaption modulates hip fracture behavior. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of specific exercise loading history on fall-induced hip fracture behavior by estimating fracture load and location with proximal femur finite element (FE) models created from magnetic resonance images (MRI) of 111 women w…
Self-assembled multivalent (SAMul) ligand systems with enhanced stability in the presence of human serum
2019
Self-assembled cationic micelles are an attractive platform for binding biologically-relevant polyanions such as heparin. This has potential applications in coagulation control, where a synthetic heparin rescue agent could be a useful replacement for protamine, which is in current clinical use. However, micelles can have low stability in human serum and unacceptable toxicity profiles. This paper reports the optimi- sation of self-assembled multivalent (SAMul) arrays of amphiphilic ligands to bind heparin in competitive conditions. Specifically, modification of the hydrophobic unit kinetically stabilises the self-assembled nanostructures, preventing loss of binding ability in the presence of…
A validity and reliability study of Conditional Entropy Measures of Pulse Rate Variability
2019
In this work, we present the feasibility to use a simpler methodological approach for the assessment of the short-term complexity of Heart Rate Variability (HRV). Specifically, we propose to exploit Pulse Rate Variability (PRV) recorded through photoplethysmography in place of HRV measured from the ECG, and to compute complexity via a linear Gaussian approximation in place of the standard model-free methods (e.g., nearest neighbor entropy estimates) usually applied to HRV. Linear PRV-based and model-free HRV-based complexity measures were compared via statistical tests, correlation analysis and Bland-Altman plots, demonstrating an overall good agreement. These results support the applicabil…
The use of accelerometry to evaluate the BMX cycling starting hill. Effect of the Q-Ring™ on the acceleration profile
2020
Accelerometers are becoming popular in sport performance, as they are easy to wear, affordable, and usable in the field. Eccentric chainrings have been commercialised to improve pedalling performance, but little is known about their possible effects in the first pedal strokes (PS) of maximal sprint starts. To analyse the effects of the Q-Ring chainring (Q) on pedalling mechanics and performance in the BMX starting hill, 12 Spanish-National-Team BMX athletes performed 3 maximal sprints comparing Q vs No-Q. Time was measured in the first three meters. Acceleration output was registered with a triaxial 6 g accelerometer (200 Hz) in the first four PS. Discrete time, acceleration and statistical…
Influence of short implants geometry on primary stability.
2018
Background A correct design is needed in short implants to improve primary stability (PS) in low quality bone. This study aimed to compare PS of double thread and single thread short implants. Material and Methods Thirty implants with single thread design (PHI/SHORT-I) and 30 implants with double thread design (PHIA/SHORT-I) (Radhex®, Inmet-Garnick S.A., Guadalajara, Spain) were placed in 30 randomly selected bovine ribs. PS was assessed in implant stability quotients (ISQ) and periotest values (PV) with Osstell™ and Periotest® devices, respectively. Computed tomographies of the ribs were taken and bone quality was evaluated in Hounsfield Units (HU) using Ez3D Plus software (Vatech Co., Kor…
Bleaching efficacy of at home 16% carbamide peroxide. A long-term clinical follow-up study.
2019
OBJECTIVE To assess the whitening efficacy of a 16% carbamide peroxidase (CP) gel after 42 months of clinical follow-up. MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective clinical study was carried out involving 95 participants. CP 16% was applied for 90 minutes a day for 4 weeks using individualized trays. Tooth color was assessed using spectrophotometry at baseline, 1 week after the end of treatment, and every 6 months until completing 42 months of follow-up. Color parameters were compared using analysis of variance for repeated measures. The analysis by teeth groups was performed using two-way ANOVA. RESULTS The mean baseline L* was 81.7 ± 5.2 versus 83.6 ± 8.8 after 42 months (P<.01). L* showed a d…
Definition of the thermographic regions of interest in cycling by using a factor analysis
2016
Abstract Research in exercise physiology using infrared thermography has increased in the last years. However, the definition of the Regions of Interest (ROIs) varies strongly between studies. Therefore, the aim of this study was to use a factor analysis approach to define highly correlated groups of thermographic ROIs during a cycling test. Factor analyses were performed based on the moment of measurement and on the variation of skin temperatures as a result of the cycling exercise. 19 male participants cycled during 45 min at 50% of their individual peak power output with a cadence of 90 rpm. Infrared thermography was used to measure skin temperatures in sixteen ROIs of the trunk and lowe…
Machine Learning Approaches for Activity Recognition and/or Activity Prediction in Locomotion Assistive Devices—A Systematic Review
2020
Locomotion assistive devices equipped with a microprocessor can potentially automatically adapt their behavior when the user is transitioning from one locomotion mode to another. Many developments in the field have come from machine learning driven controllers on locomotion assistive devices that recognize/predict the current locomotion mode or the upcoming one. This review synthesizes the machine learning algorithms designed to recognize or to predict a locomotion mode in order to automatically adapt the behavior of a locomotion assistive device. A systematic review was conducted on the Web of Science and MEDLINE databases (as well as in the retrieved papers) to identify articles published…
Dynamic Modeling, Energy Analysis, and Path Planning of Spherical Robots on Uneven Terrains
2020
Spherical robots are generally comprised of a spherical shell and an internal actuation unit. These robots have a variety of applications ranging from search and rescue to agriculture. Although one of the main advantages of spherical robots is their capability to operate on uneven surfaces, energy analysis and path planning of such systems have been studied only for flat terrains. This work introduces a novel approach to evaluate the dynamic equations, energy consumption, and separation analysis of these robots rolling on uneven terrains. The presented dynamics modeling, separation analysis, and energy analysis allow us to implement path planning algorithms to find an optimal path. One of t…