SUNFEST Report
نویسندگان
چکیده
Background Context: In the United States, the most prevalent cause of disability of workers under 45 years of age is low back pain. Past research suggests that there is a link between low back pain and intervertebral disc degeneration. One of the earliest known components of disc degeneration is a decrease in proteoglycan content in the nucleus pulposus, which in turn leads to changes in mechanical properties. In this study, the effects of proteoglycan content and collagen cross-linking on swelling behavior were investigated. Study Design: Swelling pressure of the nucleus pulposus was measured in a confined compression experiment. The effects of two injectable agents were studied. The first was Chondroitinase ABC (ChABC), which is an enzyme that breaks down proteoglycan. ChABC was used to model disc degeneration. In addition, genipin -a cross-linking agent that promotes the cross-linking of fibers in the disc’s collagen network -was also used. Objectives: The main objective of this study was to determine the effects of cross-linking on the mechanical properties of degenerate nucleus pulposus. The first step was to determine baseline swelling pressure for control or normal sheep discs. The second was to determine the concentration of ChABC needed to mimic the degeneration found in human discs. The final step of the study was to investigate the potential of genipin required to restore the mechanical function in degenerate discs. Results: The average swelling pressure measured for normal sheep discs was 0.21 + 0.13 MPa. The optimal ChABC dose was 0.5 U with an average swelling pressure of 0.082 + 0.04 MPa. The average swelling pressure for the 0.5% genipin group and 0.5% genipin + 0.5 U ChABC were 0.15 + 0.07 MPa and 0.083 MPa, respectively. Conclusion: Though findings from this study were inconclusive, they do not eliminate the potential of genipin as a treatment for disc degeneration. This warrants further investigation into effects of cross-linking using genipin and the mechanisms by which genipin increases crosslinking.
منابع مشابه
SUNFEST REU Program CARBON NANOTUBE-BASED BIODETECTION OF TRIIODOTHYRANINE
We report biodetection of the thyroid hormone triiodothyranine (T3) using carbon nanotube field-effect transistors. T3 molecules bind non-covalently the semiconducting nanotube and donate electrons to the nanotube lattice, thereby altering its electronic characteristics via chemical doping. The effect is semi-reversible by rinsing the transistors with the T3 solvent without the biomolecule. The...
متن کاملSUNFEST REU Program IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ENIAC ACCUMLATOR AND CYCLING UNIT ON A FIELD PROGRAMMABLE GATE ARRAY (FPGA)
An accumulator and cycling unit from the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator (ENIAC) are implemented on a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). The FPGA implementation is not architecturally identical to the original ENIAC, but the original architectural design is maintained where possible. The design maintains decimal number representation, ring counters to increment numbers, and te...
متن کاملSUNFEST REU Program Remote Cognosensors: Developing an NIR Imaging Model to Map Brain Function
Near-infrared (NIR) imaging has provided new insight into optical imaging of human tissue. The purpose of this study is to develop an NIR imaging system that could potentially be used to study cognitive function by measuring the optical parameters (μa and μs`) of the human prefrontal cortex. The desired system should be a remote sensing system that does not need direct contact with the subject....
متن کاملPhotolithographic Processes for Creating a Proximity Sensor in Low Temperature Co-Fired Ceramic Tapes NSF Summer Undergraduate Fellowships in Sensor Technology (SUNFEST)
This paper describes two photolithographic processes for patterning Low Temperature Co-Fired Ceramic (LTCC) tapes. The processes involve the use of two types of LTCC tape. In one case photoformable tape is used, and in the other, DuPont 951 tape coupled with DuPont Riston 9015, a dry photoresist, is used. Although a full 8-layer sensor was not completed using either method, single spirals wer...
متن کاملSUNFEST REU Program DIELECTROPHORETIC ASSEMBLY, INTEGRATION, AND CHARACTERIZATION OF FUNCTIONAL NANOSTRUCTURES
Nano-electro-mechanical systems (NEMS) are pivotal to integrated systems research. The ability to integrate sensors and processors on a single wafer has the potential to create highly sensitive and complex systems that respond to changing environmental stimuli. This project focuses on the assembly, integration, and characterization of both nanowires and nanotubes used in NEMS devices. Using die...
متن کامل