Aida Rahim

Massachusetts Institute of Technology | MIT · Department of Mechanical Engineering

Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (OFDR) is the basis of an emerging high-definition distributed fiber optic sensing (HD-FOS) technique that provides an unprecedented combination of resolution and sensitivity. OFDR employs swept laser interferometry to produce strain or temperature vs. sensor length with fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) or Rayleigh...

Luna recently demonstrated a novel optical phase-based algorithm for removing the adverse effects of fiber motion at frequencies far above the scan rate on high-resolution measurements of Rayleigh scatter using Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (OFDR) for static strain and temperature measurements. By comparing dynamic OFDR Rayleigh scatter me...

We demonstrate a novel algorithm for removing adverse effects of motion in distributed strain measurements via Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (OFDR), using Rayleigh backscatter from low-bend loss fiber as the transducer. Vibration amplitudes and frequencies of 2.5 Gs and up to 50 Hz, respectively, were corrected for in real-time while measu...

Mechanical force modulates myriad cellular functions including migration, alignment, proliferation, and gene transcription. Mechanotransduction, the transmission of mechanical forces and its translation into biochemical signals, may be mediated by force induced protein conformation changes, subsequently modulating protein signaling. For the paxilli...

This paper presents the results of a dynamic test of a composite fan blade, in which strain measurements from a two meter long distributed fiber optic sensor is updated at the fast rate of 250 Hz. Besides tracking high frequency dynamic events, the truly distributed nature of these high resolution measurements also facilitate the calculation of fan...

Global algorithms can improve the analysis of fluorescence energy transfer (FRET) measurement based on fluorescence lifetime microscopy. However, global analysis of FRET data is also susceptible to experimental artifacts. This work examines several common artifacts and suggests remedial experimental protocols. Specifically, we examined the accuracy...

Tissue engineering research revolves around the biomaterial scaffolds, cell sources, in vitro constructs, and in vivo integration into living hosts. These components of tissue engineering are independently developed and optimized for specific applications with relatively simple structure–function relationships are relatively simple. High-throughput...

Microfabricated systems provide an excellent platform for the culture of cells, and are an extremely useful tool for the investigation of cellular responses to various stimuli. Advantages offered over traditional methods include cost-effectiveness, controllability, low volume, high resolution, and sensitivity. Both biocompatible and bio-incompatibl...

We have developed a multi-channel 3D microfluidic cell culture system (multi-channel 3D-microFCCS) with compartmentalized microenvironments for potential application in human drug screening. To this end, the multi-channel 3D-microFCCS was designed for culturing different 3D cellular aggregates simultaneously to mimic multiple organs in the body. Fo...

Conjugated polymer nanoparticles (CPN) for two-photon imaging of endothelial cells in a tissue model are analyzed. CPNs were fabricated by ultrafiltration of an amine-containing PPE solution that was acidified with tartaric acid. The Z-average size of CPNs obtained from this tartaric acid treatment was significantly smaller than that obtained using...

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2008. Includes bibliographical references (p. 99-108). Force, due either to haemodynamic shear stress or relayed directly to the cell through adhesion complexes, is transmitted and translated into biological signals. This process is known as mechanotransduction...

Microanalysis incorporating fluorescence lifetime-resolved resonance energy transfer and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy allows the kinetics and the thermodynamics of protein association to be quantified in vivo.

Membrane-bound integrin receptors are linked to intracellular signaling pathways through focal adhesion kinase (FAK). FAK tends to colocalize with integrin receptors at focal adhesions through its C-terminal focal adhesion targeting (FAT) domain. Through recruitment and binding of intracellular proteins, FAs transduce signals between the intracellu...