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Comparison Of Protein Structures Predicted By Genai Tools In A Zero-Shot Manner, Kruthi Shankar Rao

Master's Projects

Generative AI models have vast applications and one such critical application explored in this study is protein structure prediction. The 3D structures of proteins determine their function. Our study mainly focuses on using generative AI models such as ESMFold and ColabFold to predict and examine naturally occurring and mutated sequences. The workflow begins with collecting antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and toxin-antitoxin (TA) protein data. The sequences are applied over pretrained AI models to predict protein structures. Following this, models are fine-tuned with original and mutated target datasets. A comparison of models’ performances is done using metrics such as root mean square …

Facial Expression Mood Classification Using Machine Learning, Tiantong Li

Master's Projects

Facial expression classification is a powerful tool for understanding human emotions, with applications spanning human-computer interaction, healthcare, and entertainment. By analyzing facial cues, systems can interpret emotional states and adapt their responses, creating more personalized and emotionally aware experiences. One emerging application of facial expression classification is in music recommendation systems, where user emotions are integrated to suggest music that aligns with their current mood. While prior research has primarily classified facial expressions into four emotion categories, this study broadens the scope to seven emotions: angry, disgust, fear, happy, neutral, sad, and surprise. The project evaluates four machine learning techniques—CNN, …

Teaching Children Programming Concepts Through Video Games, Kayla Musleh

Master's Projects

Children have a tendency to lose focus when they are presented with something that does not entertain them or tailor to their personal interests; such as studying [1], [3], [10]. The research performed for this project focuses on studying how much more children can comprehend and focus on learning educational material if they are learning through playing a video game rather than being taught information directly in a typical classroom manner. For this study I created a computer game designed to introduce educational subjects such as mathematics and programming concepts to the child playing the game. By completing the tasks …

Lidar From The Sky: Uav Integration And Fusion Techniques For Advanced Traffic Monitoring, Baya Cherif, Hakim Ghazzai, Ahmad Alsharoa

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology's expansion within the autonomous vehicles industry has rapidly motivated its application in numerous growing areas, such as smart cities, agriculture, and renewable energy. In this article, we propose an innovative approach for enhancing aerial traffic monitoring solutions through the application of LiDAR technology. The objective is to achieve precise and real-time object detection and tracking from aerial perspectives by integrating unmanned aerial vehicles with LiDAR sensors, thereby creating a potent Aerial LiDAR (A-LiD) solution for traffic monitoring. First, we develop a novel deep learning algorithm based on pointvoxel-region-based convolutional neural network (RCNN) to conduct …

Biomechanical Simulation Of Cardiovascular Implantable Electronic Device Leads With Residual Properties, Anmar Mahdi Salih

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Implantable leads used in pacemakers, defibrillators, and cardiac resynchronization therapy are designed for in-vivo applications, yet their longevity is inevitably shaped by the conditions within the human body. The mechanical behavior of these leads can be affected over time, necessitating the evaluation of their residual properties. Two main insulators, silicone, and polyurethane are commonly used for the outer insulation of cardiac leads. Understanding the long-term performance of these insulators is crucial for ensuring the reliability and safety of cardiac implantable devices. The research aims to assess the long-term mechanical properties and performance of implantable leads utilized in cardiovascular implantable electronic …

Children's Hospital Animatronic, Erin Keller, Wesley Cunningham, Dylan Mueller, Carl Richter

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This senior project explores the development of a pediatric-oriented animatronic designed to enhance the hospital experience for children. Recognizing the importance of alleviating the anxiety and fear that often accompany hospital visits, the project focuses on creating an engaging and interactive companion to soothe children.

Key components of this project include:

1. Creative Design: The animatronic character's design prioritizes child-friendliness, employing research into child psychology and preferences to ensure an appealing and approachable aesthetic.

2. Electrical and Mechanical Engineering: A robust mechanical and electronic system was engineered to enable lifelike movements, gestures, and responses.

3. Interactive Features: A simple, user-friendly app will be …

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Effects Of Energy Drink Additives On Crayfish Metabolism, Katherine Paltz

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The effects of caffeine and additives commonly found in energy drinks were tested on crayfish to record changes, if any, in their metabolism. Three experimental groups were studied: 1. Caffeine; 2. Caffeine + Glucuronolactone; 3.) Caffeine + Glucuronolactone + Taurine. Caffeine is a common stimulant used to improve mental awareness, headaches, memory, and athletic performance. Glucuronolactone is connected with cardiovascular issues and aggressive behavior. Taurine is said to improve mood and focus. The experiment was performed at two different caffeine levels: 600mg and 1200mg for an initial 1 hour of exposure and 10 hours after exposure used as a pseudo-baseline. …

Smart Dog Door, Andrew Shetler, William Boissoneault, Jacob Stump, Benjamin Charlson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

With modern life getting busier and more complex, many have turned to autonomous assistance for taking care of pets. The objective of this project is to design and prototype a device and application that will allow only certain dogs to enter and exit through a dog door while making the owners aware of their dog's activity. The dog door will utilize wireless communication from the dog to the door to control the status of the door’s lock and update the database that will send updates to the application. The application will keep track of when the dog enters and exits …

Degradable Staples And Delivery Device, Meha Elango, Jessica Cabrera, Makayla Scarpitti, Kareemat Melaiye

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The scope of this project is to design a method to secure skin grafts to healthy tissue. The ultimate goal for the proposed method is to be dissolvable in some form. Currently, skin grafts procedures utilize staples in most cases to hold a skin graft in place, but there are disadvantages that come with it. Staples are easy to place, but time consuming during the removal procedure. They also cause a lot of pain and discomfort for the patient. The goal of this project is to determine a way a secure skin grafts to healthy skin in order to reduce …

Exploring Natural Raw Materials For The Development Of Hot Melt Adhesives For Linings Of Paintings, Erica Factor

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Natural raw materials will be explored for developing hot melt adhesives for the lining of paintings. The leading raw material is a natural resin called "Damar". This resin is obtained from the tree family Dipterocaupocea in India and Southeast Asia. This material has shown promising results from initial testing. Damar, with the potential for other natural raw materials, will be combined with synthetic ingredients to create sustainable formulations. The formulations will be tested on linen to replicate the application onto paintings. The sustainability, tackiness, texture, and overall performance of each formula will be considered. Once a formulation has been selected, …

Autonomous Robot For Indoor Enhanced Living (Ariel), Prabhjot Kaur

Wayne State University Dissertations

The global population is aging rapidly, with the total percentage of older adults (65 years and older) projected to increase from 10\% of the total population in 2022 to 16\% by 2050, according to the World Population Prospectus 2022 issued by the United Nations. For certain parts of the world such as Europe and North America, this translates to 1 in every 4 persons is projected to be 65 years or older by 2060. This trend raises concerns about providing quality long-term care for the older population. Moreover, according to the 2021 survey by the American Association of Retired Persons …

Development Of Advanced Multi-Nozzle Multi-Material 3d Printing, Mohammed Al Ali

Wayne State University Dissertations

Extrusion-based 3D printing methods, such as Direct Ink Writing, are extensively utilized across sectors like biomedical, energy, and electronics, employing a diverse range of materials. However, the lengthy printing times associated with single-nozzle systems limit their application in complex mass production and rapid prototyping. While multi-nozzle systems have attempted to address this issue, they often result in costly, and bulky setups with limited material options. This research introduces a novel multi-nozzle multi-material system that allows for simultaneous 3D printing using bent nozzles. The system is cost-effective, simple in design, and capable of printing a wide range of materials. Its universal …

The Role Of Smart Systems In Conservation On Sustainability Of Heritage Buildings, Aml Abd El-Wareth Mohamed

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Abstract— Historic cities with challenges in trying to integrate their heritage buildings to keep pace with the age of technology, by developing a vision for an intelligent environment (IE) of the future that would integrate smart systems for conservation on heritage. Recent, information and communications technology (ICT) progress has diverse smart heritage solutions, enhancing efficiency, sustainability, and longevity for future generations. Research problem includes challenging the possibility of integrating smart systems into heritage buildings while conserving its values, identity, and using it effectively, sustainably manner, also no comprehensive model for smart technology integration in heritage buildings for automation and control …

Establishing A Quantitative Assessment Tool For Biophilia In Healthcare Facilities, Sara Moustafa Fouda, Mohanad Ali Fouda

Mansoura Engineering Journal

This study aims at developing a novel assessment tool that can quantitatively evaluate the level of biophilia integration in healthcare facilities. The developed assessment tool helps to address the difficulty of biophilia quantification in the built environment due to the broad nature of the biophilia concept. The methodological approach for the tool depends on employing biophilic design patterns as a basis for biophilia, where these patterns are correlated to a group of biophilia-related features of the WELL Building Standard. This correlation is attained through a list of Integrated Design Guidelines (IDGs) that is proposed to act as an intermediate ground …

Mouralherwaqh: Coastal Wetland Road Crossing Da’Luk, Filip Amborski

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The integration of Indigenous and Western science plays an essential role in Tribally led collaborations for land management. This process of woven sciences is rooted in reciprocal relations and partnerships guided by Tribal Nations. Our cohort was invited by Wiyot Tribal Representatives to investigate a culvert located within the wetlands of Mouralherwaqh— a parcel of land reacquired by the Wiyot Tribe in 2022. This document seeks to share our experience and analysis as part of the Wiyot Tribe’s broader journey in navigating ecocultural restoration projects within Mouralherwaqh. The four community interests we investigated for the wetland crossing included a resized …

A 3d Co-Culture Model Of Senescent Cell Burden And Salivary Gland Fibrosis, Stephen Rose

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Patients with head and neck cancer often suffer collateral radiation damage to the salivary glands, leading to fibrosis. Histological examinations indicate that radiation encourages fibrosis by promoting cellular changes leading to both senescent and myofibroblast phenotypes, coupled with a significant loss of regenerative and acinar cells. Chronic hypofunction remains a primary concern, even with modified radiation approaches to sparing salivary glands. Current treatments primarily offer symptomatic relief without rectifying irreversible glandular tissue damage. This limitation arises, in part, from a deficiency in predictive preclinical models to study this multifaceted problem.

We introduce a 3D in vitro microtissue model to address …

Green Synthesis Of Bimetallic Cuo@Nio Nanocomposite For The Removal Of Glyphosate, Kornkanok Boonserm, Anan Sutcha, Rarm Phinjaroenphan

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Green synthesis of photocatalyst bimetallic CuO@NiO nanocomposite for eliminating organic hazardous glyphosate (Gly) solution has been introduced. The nanocomposite has been successfully developed from mango (Mangifera indica L.) peel extracted solution by a simultaneous reduction process. HRTEM, XRD, and EDX have also been used to explore the nanostructure, crystal conformation, and chemical compositions of CuO@NiO. Using UV-vis spectrometer, we have observed the photo-catalytic activity and kinetic removal rate constant of CuO@NiO in terms of glyphosate elimination under UV light illumination. Compared with pure CuO and NiO nanoparticles, CuO@NiO displayed improved and enhanced photocatalytic activity. This work demonstrates an …

Development Of Antioxidant Film Based On Gelatin And Carboxymethylcellulose Incorporated With Tecoma Stans (L.) Juss. Ex Kunth Petals Extract For Biodegradable Food Packaging, Pacharawan Ratanasongtham, Passara Sukplee, Yutthana Wongnongwa

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

The aim of this research was to develop a novel combination of antioxidant blended film for use as biodegradable packaging in the food industry.  The antioxidant film was prepared based on gelatin (G) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) incorporated with Tecoma stans (L.) Juss. ex Kunth petals extract (TKE) at various concentrations (0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg∙L‒1) via solution casting method. The structural and surface morphology of G/CMC-TKE film were characterized using FTIR spectrometry technique and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), including determining antioxidant activity, water solubility, water vapor permeability, and biodegradability. According to FTIR analysis, the significant interaction between the gelatin …

Recent Advances In Synthesis And Bio-Applications Of Natural Stabilizers For Metal Nanoparticles, Abhishek Sharma, Navneet Kaur, Ayashkanta Nanda, Manvinder Kaur, Rajeev Sharma, Harvinder Singh Sohal

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Due to their exceptional physicochemical properties, the synthesis and application of metal nano-particles gained significant traction and a grip in industries and scientific fields or regions. However, the thermodynamic instability of metal nanoparticles poses or leads to challenges in their controlled synthesis and stabilization. To address this stability and the immobilization strategies, natural polymers such as cellulose, starch, alginate, chitosan, and hyaluronic acid have been explored for their non-toxic, biodegradable, and environmentally friendly characteristics. Recent advances in nanotechnology have led to an increased focus on these natural polymer’s utilization as effective stabilizers for diverse metal nanoparticles. This review comprehensively examines …

Sbr Elastomer Response To Renewable Diesel Blends: An Experimental Investigation, Andrias Rahman Wimada, Ni Putu Dian Nitamiwati, Fatimah Tresna Pratiwi, Maharanni Dewi Solikhah, Bina Restituta Barus, Eki Dwi Wijanarko, Riesta Anggarani, Lies Asiyah, Setyo Widodo, Arfi Thahar, Soni Solistia Wirawan

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

To investigate the impact of Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SBR) exposure to renewable fuels during handling and storage processes, compatibility tests were conducted on three different renewable fuel mixtures: 30% biodiesel, 40% biodiesel, and 30% biodiesel + 10% hydrogenated vegetable oil. These tests involved static immersion experiments conducted at room temperature for a duration of 1000 h, following the ASTM D471 standards. Before and after the immersion tests, the physical properties and visually assessed elastomers concentrations were investigated by varying the SBR content. Additionally, the post-immersion fuel properties were examined. The results showed that mass and volume swelling increased with the …

Bifunctional Cationic Modification Of Modal Fabric For Sustainable In Textile Dyeing With Spent Coffee Grounds, Monthon Nakpathom, Rattanaphol Mongkholrattanasit, Sarute Ummartyotin, Pisutsaran Chitichotpanya, Nattaya Vuthiganond

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

In order to dye cellulose or regenerated cellulose with natural dyes, toxic metal mordants are generally employed. In response to this issue, the novel bifunctional cationic agent was pretreated to modify modal (regenerated cellulose) fabric prior to dyeing to enhance the fiber-dye affinity. The cationization reaction was carried out using a compound containing bicationic sites, N,N'-(oxybis (ethane-2,1-diyl))bis(3-chloro-2-hydroxy-N,N-dimethylpropan-1-aminium. This unique cationic agent is capable of producing nonvolatile amine and has no odor problem. The successful cationic modification was confirmed through FTIR spectroscopy and zeta potential measurement. The cationized process was optimized at a cationic and sodium hydroxide concentration …

Designing Biphasic Nanocellulose Hydrogels To Mimic The Complex Cartilage-Bone Interface, Sairash Sairash, Sirinee Jirajessada, Supansa Yodmuang

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Osteochondral lesions, which affect both the cartilage and the bone, present significant challenges in treatment due to the complex mechanical and biochemical properties of these tissues. A crucial consideration in developing tissue replacements for these lesions is the simultaneous regeneration of cartilage and calcified cartilage, which forms the transition zone to bone. Our current study aims to fabricate a bilayer polymeric hydrogel designed not only to support cartilage regeneration but also to serve as an interface between cartilage and bone. The bilayer hydrogel was created by combining oxidized bacterial nanocellulose, gelatin, and alginate in one layer, while the other layer …

Field Scale Evaluation Of A Flow-Through Filtration System With Mixed Media To Remove E. Coli From Stormwater, Ankur Debnath

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The main goal of this research was to establish a field-scale stormwater filtration system which is flow-through and cost-effective in terms of construction and maintenance. The filter is constructed in a downstream drainage of a retention pond where the stormwater goes through the porous space of media so that it maintains low retention time with minimum disturbance in flow. The filter consists of two 20ft long sections with concrete channel and ripraps on the inlet & outlet side. 30% Steel chips and 70% steel slags in the size range of 6.00-12.5 mm have been used as media which has been …

Unity Two Dimensional C# Game, Nick Zajac

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

My project is a 2-dimensional game that is being developed in the unity engine. This project includes animating objects, having them interact with each other, and having a goal the player will want to complete in the game. It will be a game that involves the player character moving around, attacking enemies, and dodging enemies. There will also be some challenges that involve maneuvering between platforms and enemies to progress in the game. At the end of the level, the player will encounter a stronger boss character. This character will have movement and attack patterns similar to the other minor …

The Effects Of Various Nanoplastics On The Inflammatory Response In Primary Alveolar Epithelial Cells, Eunice J. Pak

Theses and Dissertations

As plastic pollution begins to multiply in the environment and the workplace, gradual degradation of these plastics creates an unseen threat to biological health: nanoplastics. These nanoplastics are common in day-to-day life, and have been found in various internal organs of the human body. The biological and health effects of these nanoplastics are still widely unknown, and only recently has research focused on the impacts of these particles on human health at the cellular level.

In this thesis, poly(methyl methacrylate) and three forms of polystyrene (carboxyl-modified, amine-modified, and neutral surface charge) have been tested on submerged primary C57BL/6 mouse alveolar …

Shape Inverse Prediction Of Magnetic Field-Actuated Soft Robots By Neural Network Machine Learning, Lineth J. Perez Monsalve

Theses and Dissertations

Soft robotics has drawn tremendous interest in recent years because the compliance and motion of soft robotics enable biocompatibility and versatility for many applications, such as human-machine interaction, wearable and assistive devices, and health monitoring. This study introduces a novel predictive modeling approach using neural networks for shape control of magnetic soft robots. The robots are made of silicone materials embedded with hard magnetic particles, which respond to the external magnetic field provided by a ring-type of permanent magnet. These robots, free from physical connections to external devices, i.e., non-tethered actuation, hold significant potential for applications in healthcare, such as …

Novel Approaches To Treatment Of Hyperexcitability In Skeletal Muscle, Phillip Vance Walker Ii

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Myotonia Congenita (MC) is a rare, inherited ion channelopathy caused by a loss-of-function mutation in the CLCN1 gene. The resulting downregulation of the skeletal muscle chloride channel (ClC-1) results in hyperexcitable skeletal muscle fibers that fire action potentials involuntarily. Patients with MC suffer from debilitating stiffness due to myotonia, described clinically as delayed muscle relaxation following voluntary contraction. Skeletal muscle is a unique system we use in this study to advance our understanding of the pathophysiology underlying MC, and other channelopathies characterized by hyperexcitable cells (i.e., forms of epilepsy and cardiac arrhythmia). Furthermore, re-assessing what makes anti-myotonic drugs such as …

A Novel In-Vitro Approach To Investigate The Molecular Interaction Between Inhaled Particles And The Human Pulmonary Surfactant System, Bryan Mayville

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The deployment of military personnel to austere environments poses significant pulmonary health risks from inhalation of particulates including sand, dust, pollution, and heavy machinery exhaust. When particles are less than 10 µm in diameter, they can penetrate deep within the alveoli and embed within the protective lung surfactant monolayer. Here, absorption of surfactant lipids to the particle surface disrupts the essential monolayer configuration needed to reduce surface tension and prevent atelectasis, thus leading to disease. Currently, there are no in vitro surfactant-producing lung cell models capable of studying the effects of inhaled particles on the human pulmonary surfactant system. A549 …

Insights Into Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis: Novel Mechanisms And Treatments, Christopher Dupont

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Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis (hyperKPP) is an inherited channelopathy that leads to incapacitating episodes marked by severe skeletal muscle weakness or total paralysis, often accompanied by muscular stiffness (myotonia). The periods of muscle dysfunction are thought to be caused by the elevation in extracellular potassium (K). This autosomal dominant disorder is associated with mutations in the skeletal muscle voltage-gated sodium channel (Nav1.4). A multitude of inciting factors have been documented, including rest post-exertion, a potassium-rich diet, exposure to cold temperatures, psychological stressors, and fatigue. Given the variability of the triggers and the debilitating manifestation of symptoms, individuals afflicted by hyperKPP have …

Comparative Analysis Of Motoneuronal C-Bouton Structural Alterations In Als And Aging, Shelby Nicole Ward

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor neuron (MN) death resulting in paralysis and eventually death. ALS has greater prevalence in older populations sharing characteristics with aging like muscle weakness and MN type specific degeneration. MNs innervate skeletal muscles and control muscle contraction through their excitability which is altered in both conditions. C-Boutons are a cholinergic, excitatory synaptic input to MNs and have been studied in ALS and aging but have produced inconsistent findings and undesired gaps. We used immunohistochemistry to label mouse lumbar spinal cord and separate MN types. 60x imaging and automated analysis was …