Digital Commons Network^™

Analyzing Public View Towards Vaccination Using Twitter, Mahajan Rutuja

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Educating people about vaccination tends to target vaccine acceptance and reduction of hesitancy. Social media provides a promising platform for studying public perception regarding vaccination. In this study, we harvested tweets over a year related to vaccines from February 2018 to January 2019. We present a two-stage classifier to: (1) classify the tweets as relevant or non-relevant and (2) categorize them in terms of pro-vaccination, anti-vaccination, or neutral outlook. We found that the classifier was able to distinguish clearly between anti-vaccination and pro-vaccination tweets, but also misclassified many of these as neutral. Using Latent Dirichlet Allocation, we found that two …

Feasibility Of Integrating Microfluidics Into Point-Of-Care Bio-Diagnostics, Swetha Manoharan

Theses

Potassium in the body needs to be maintained in proper levels for the normal functioning of heart and kidneys. The aim of this work is to develop a simple technique to measure the concentration of Potassium present in a bodily fluid sample, which can be used to assess the health condition of extremely sick patients, especially when the patient's condition needs to be diagnosed and results needs to be obtained rapidly under Point-of-Care settings. Microfluidics is one of the platforms used in bio-diagnostics because of several advantages such as low sample volume requirement and integration into high-throughput screening. In this …

Evaluating Shallow Mixing Protocols As Application Methods For Microbial Induced Calcite Precipitation Targeting Expansive Soil Treatment, Bhaskar C. S. Chittoori, Tasria Rahman, Malcolm Burbank, Arif Ali Baig Moghal

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Expansive soils, also known as swell-shrink soils, undergo substantial volumetric changes due to moisture fluctuations from seasonal variations. These volumetric changes cause millions of dollars in damages annually. Microbial Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP) is a promising soil improvement technique, which uses urease producing bacteria to precipitate calcium carbonate. In this study, a stabilization alternative for expansive soils was studied using MICP. Specifically, indigenous bacteria were stimulated by mixing enrichment and cementation solutions with expansive natural soils to precipitate calcium carbonate and make soil stronger and less expansive. This study examined three expansive soils with varying plasticity and mineralogical characteristics. Two …

Study Of Synthesis Of Biodegradable Plastics From Alkaline Fermented Excessive Activated Sludge, Yaohui Liu, Chua Hong

Faculty of Science & Technology (THEi)

The environmental problems associated with plastics have become increasingly severe in recent years. Technologically and economically feasible solutions are in urgent need in order to ensure sustainable development in the plastic industry. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are a family of specialized polyesters of hydroxyalkanoates (HAs) and can be completely degraded in natural environment. They can be synthesized naturally or under artificially controlled processes. The barrier of limiting the application of PHAs is the high production cost. From years of study, PHAs are proofed to be able to be accumulated within the bacterial cells in activated sludge and the production yield had been …

Improving The Energy Efficiency Of Petrochemical Plant Operations: A Measurement And Verification Case Study Using A Balanced Wave Optimizer, Eve Man Hin Chan, Kar-Kit Chu, Hin-Fung Chow, Chi-Wing Tsang, Danny Chi Kuen Ho, Shuk-Kei Ho

Faculty of Science & Technology (THEi)

The Chinese petrochemical industry is facing pressure to meet strict targets of energy consumption and carbon emission reductions. Water pumps are the primary equipment used in most chemical and agrochemical industries sectors since water is commonly used for cooling and heating purposes, but these pumps also consume a large amount of energy. Other uses of water pumps in these industries include producing steam for heating, preparing reaction media or absorptive reagents, rinsing products, and distilling. As for the electrical components of the water pump systems, current technologies of variable frequency drives and superconducting transmission lines are unable to increase the …

Lignin Valorizations With Ni Catalysts For Renewable Chemicals And Fuels Productions, Xiao Chen, Weixiang Guan, Chi-Wing Tsang, Haoquan Hu, Changhai Liang

Faculty of Science & Technology (THEi)

Energy and fuels derived from biomass pose lesser impact on the environmental carbon footprint than those derived from fossil fuels. In order for the biomass-to-energy and biomass-to-chemicals processes to play their important role in the loop of the circular economy, highly active, selective, and stable catalysts and the related efficient chemical processes are urgently needed. Lignin is the most thermal stable fraction of biomass and a particularly important resource for the production of chemicals and fuels. This mini review mainly focuses on lignin valorizations for renewable chemicals and fuels production and summarizes the recent interest in the lignin valorization over …

Timescales Of Global Tidal Flooding, Maria Bower

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Millions of people in low-lying areas are already affected by flooding, and the number will increase substantially in the future. Tidal flooding, the form of flooding caused by a combination of high tides and sea level rise to overcome protection levels, can cause damage and inconveniences such as road closures, overwhelmed drainage systems, and infrastructure deterioration from water damage. Tidal flooding already occurs annually in cities along the U.S. east coast, most notably Miami. However, the time it will take for other regions globally to begin to experience tidal flooding has not yet been assessed. Therefore, there is a limited …

Development Of In Vitro Point Of Care Diagnostics (Ivpcd) Based On Aptamers Integrated Biosensors, Nileshi Saraf

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The global market for the medical diagnostic industry is worth 25 billion dollars in the United States and is expected to grow exponentially each year. Presently available methods for biodetection, such as immunoassays, chemiluminescence and fluorescent based assays are expensive, time consuming and require skilled labor with high-end instruments. Therefore, development of novel, passive colorimetric sensors and diagnostic technologies for detection and surveillance is of utmost importance especially in resource constrained communities. The present work focusses on developing novel and advanced in vitro biodiagnostic tools based on aptamer integrated biosensors for an early detection of specific viral proteins or small …

Healthcare Robotics: Key Factors That Impact Robot Adoption In Healthcare, Sujatha Alla, Pilar Pazos

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

In the current dynamic business environment, healthcare organizations are focused on improving patient satisfaction, performance, and efficiency. The healthcare industry is considered a complex system that is highly reliant of new technologies to support clinical as well as business processes. Robotics is one of such technologies that is considered to have the potential to increase efficiency in a wide range of clinical services. Although the use of robotics in healthcare is at the early stages of adoption, some studies have shown the capacity of this technology to improve precision, accessibility through less invasive procedures, and reduction of human error during …

Celiac Disease: A Physiological Overview And Possible Future Work With Emphasis On Raman Spectroscopy, Katlyn Curtin Mehne

Wayne State University Theses

Celiac Disease is a condition whereby ingesting Gluten causes an autoimmune reaction in the intestines with adverse effects throughout the body. Although statistic analysis estimates that 1% of the general population is affected by this condition, the diagnosis and treatment research lacks in key areas of understanding. This is a summary of current research and physiological information on the impact of Celiac Disease. In the last twenty years, Raman Spectroscopy assisted in diagnosis and treatment of various other ailments. In this case, Raman Spectroscopy can be used to research immunological cells involved in Celiac Disease and further research.

Between-Host Hiv Model: Stability Analysis And Solution Using Memeticcomputing, Musharif Ahmed, Ijaz Mansoor Qureshi, Muhammad Aamer Saleem, Muhammad Zubair, Saad Zafar

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

HIV poses a great threat to humanity for two major reasons. First it attacks the immunity system of the body and second, it is epidemic in nature. Mathematical models of HIV have been instrumental in understanding and controlling the infection. In this paper, we solve the between host epidemic model of HIV, described by nonlinear coupled differential equations, by using memetic computing. Under this model, the sexually active population is divided into four classes and we investigate the transfer of individuals from one class to another. The solution consists of Bernstein polynomials whose parameters have been optimized by using differential …

Exploiting Stochastic Petri Nets With Fuzzy Parameters To Predict Efficient Drug Combinations For Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Rza Bashi̇rov, Recep Duranay, Adi̇l Şeytanoğlu, Mani Mehraei, Ni̇met Akçay

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Randomness and uncertainty are two major problems one faces while modeling nonlinear dynamics of molecular systems. Stochastic and fuzzy methods are used to cope with these problems, but there is no consensus among researchers regarding which method should be used when. This is because the areas of applications of these methods are overlapping with differences in opinions. In the present work, we demonstrate how to use stochastic Petri nets with fuzzy parameters to manage random timing of biomolecular events and deal with the uncertainty of reaction rates in biological networks. The approach is demonstrated through a case study of simulation-based …

Performance Evaluation Of Webrtc-Based Online Consultation Platform, Ergün Alperay Tarim, Hüseyi̇n Cumhur Teki̇n

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Information technologies give patients the opportunity to communicate with medical professionals remotely. Telemedicine uses these technologies to provide advanced healthcare and medical services. We present a medical online consultation application based on Web Real-Time Communications (WebRTC) technology enabling chat, audio, and video calls. Communication architecture and protocols of the application are explained in detail. Additionally, the user interface of the application is shown via performed calls. The application is tested and evaluated on different network connections (3G, 4G, local, and DSL) and different browsers and mobile operating systems (Android, Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, iOS, Opera, Safari). During calls, communication quality …

Exploring The Role And Impact Of Microscale Phenomena On Electrode, Microdevice, And Cellular Function, Sanaz Habibi

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Microfluidic technologies enable the development of portable devices to perform multiple high-resolution unit operations with small sample and reagent volumes, low fabrication cost, facile operation, and quick response times. Microfluidic platforms are expected to effectively interpret both wanted and unwanted phenomena; however, a comprehensive evaluation of the unwanted phenomena has not been appropriately investigated in the literature. This work explored an attenuative evaluation of unwanted phenomena, also called here as secondary phenomena, in a unique approach.

Upon electric field utilization within microfluidic devices, electrode miniaturization improves device sensitivity. However, electrodes in contact with medium solution can yield byproducts that can …

Need For Aeromedical Evacuation High-Level Containment Transport Guidelines, Shawn G. Gibbs, Jocelyn J. Herstein, Aurora B. Le, Elizabeth L. Beam, Theodore J. Cieslak, James V. Lawler, Joshua L. Santarpia, Terry L. Stentz, Kelli R. Kopocis-Herstein, Chandran Achutan, Gary W. Carter, John J. Lowe

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

Circumstances exist that call for the aeromedical evacuation high-level containment transport (AE-HLCT) of patients with highly hazardous communicable diseases. A small number of organizations maintain AE-HLCT capabilities, and little is publicly available regarding the practices. The time is ripe for the development of standards and consensus guidelines involving AE-HLCT.

การปรับปรุงพื้นผิวตะแกรงกรองตะกอนเพื่อลดการเกาะติดของฟิล์มอินทรีย์สำหรับระบบหมุนเวียนน้ำเพื่อการเลี้ยงสัตว์น้ำ, เหมือนตะวัน อ่อนน้อม

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

งานวิจัยนี้เป็นการศึกษาการปรับปรุงพื้นผิวตะแกรงกรองตะกอนของเสียจากระบบหมุนเวียนน้ำเพื่อการเลี้ยงสัตว์น้ำด้วยวัสดุนาโนเพื่อป้องกันการเกาะติดของฟิล์มชีวภาพ โดยช่วงแรกเป็นการศึกษาการปรับปรุงพื้นผิวด้วยแนวทางต่างๆ ผลการทดลองพบว่าการพ่นเคลือบด้วยอนุภาคซิลิกาขนาดนาโนลงบนพื้นผิวตะแกรงหนา 1 ชั้นทำให้พื้นผิวตะแกรงมีสมบัติความไม่ชอบน้ำยิ่งยวดโดยวัดค่ามุมสัมผัสบนพื้นผิวได้มากกว่า 150º ซึ่งเพิ่มขึ้นจากการวัดบนพื้นผิวตะแกรงแบบปกติ 30º ในขณะที่การสังเคราะห์ชั้นเลเยอร์ดับเบิลไฮดรอกไซด์ที่แทรกด้วยสเตียเรตไอออนสามารถเพิ่มค่ามุมสัมผัสได้เพียง 16º ทั้งนี้การปรับปรุงพื้นผิวทั้งสองแนวทางส่งผลให้พื้นที่การไหลของน้ำลดลงไม่เกินร้อยละ 5 และ 6 ตามลำดับ สำหรับการศึกษาประสิทธิภาพการทำงานของตะแกรงที่ปรับปรุงพื้นผิว พบว่าโครงสร้างของอนุภาคซิลิกาขนาดนาโนและชั้นเลเยอร์ดับเบิลไฮดรอกไซด์มีความคงทนอยู่บนพื้นผิวตะแกรงได้สูงสุด 15 และ 10 วัน ตามลำดับ ภายใต้อัตราการไหลของน้ำที่ 750 ล./ชม. การทดลองช่วงสุดท้ายเป็นการประยุกต์ใช้หน่วยแยกตะกอนกับน้ำเสียจากระบบการเลี้ยงสัตว์น้ำ พบว่าประสิทธิภาพในการแยกตะกอนของตะแกรงปกติ ตะแกรงที่สังเคราะห์ชั้นเลเยอร์ดับเบิลไฮดรอกไซด์และแทรกด้วยสเตียเรตไอออน และตะแกรงที่พ่นเคลือบด้วยอนุภาคซิลิกาขนาดนาโนมีค่าเฉลี่ยร้อยละ 59 52 และ 65 ตามลำดับ ทั้งนี้ตะแกรงที่พ่นเคลือบด้วยอนุภาคซิลิกาขนาดนาโนสามารถป้องกันการสะสมของตะกอนและการเกาะติดของฟิล์มชีวภาพบนพื้นผิวตะแกรงได้นานกว่าตะแกรงปกติ 7-10 วัน ดังนั้นการปรับปรุงพื้นผิวตะแกรงให้มีสมบัติความไม่ชอบน้ำยิ่งยวดจึงเป็นแนวทางในการพัฒนาหน่วยแยกตะกอนในระบบหมุนเวียนน้ำเพื่อการเลี้ยงสัตว์น้ำให้มีประสิทธิภาพในการป้องกันการเกิดฟิล์มชีวภาพเพื่อเพิ่มระยะเวลาการทำงานได้ดียิ่งขึ้น

Relaxed Mental State Detection Using The Emotiv Epoc And Adaptive Threshold Algorithms, Olin L. Anderson

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

The electroencephalogram (EEG) has proven to be useful in a wide variety of applications, including: diagnosis of mental disorders, psychological research, neurofeedback, and brain-computer interfacing. Most such applications of the EEG benefit from an ability to automatically detect when the subject is in a relaxed state. Recently, inexpensive and relatively easy to use EEG systems, with multiple electrodes, have become available at prices comparable to cellular phones or game machines. This project’s purpose is to investigate the feasibility of real-time classification of a subject's relaxation state using one such consumer-grade EEG system, the Emotiv Epoc. The subject's state is classified …

Neutrophil Activation In Systemic Capillary Leak Syndrome (Clarkson Disease), Zhihui Xie, Douglas B. Kuhns, Xuesong Gu, Hasan H. Otu, Towia A. Libermann, John I. Gallin, Samir M. Parikh, Kirk M. Druey

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

Systemic capillary leak syndrome (SCLS; Clarkson disease) is a rare orphan disorder characterized by transient yet recurrent episodes of hypotension and peripheral oedema due to diffuse vascular leakage of fluids and proteins into soft tissues. Humoral mediators, cellular responses and genetic features accounting for the clinical phenotype of SCLS are virtually unknown. Here, we searched for factors altered in acute SCLS plasma relative to matched convalescent samples using multiplexed aptamer‐based proteomic screening. Relative amounts of 612 proteins were changed greater than twofold and 81 proteins were changed at least threefold. Among the most enriched proteins in acute SCLS plasma were …

Antibiotic Resistance Gene Profile Changes In Cropland Soil After Manure Application And Rainfall, Morgan Meyers, Lisa Durso, John E. Gilley, Heidi Waldrip, Lana Castleberry, Amy Millmier Schmidt

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Land application of manure introduces gastrointestinal microbes into the environment, including bacteria carrying antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Measuring soil ARGs is important for active stewardship efforts to minimize gene flow from agricultural production systems; however, the variety of sampling protocols and target genes makes it difficult to compare ARG results between studies. We used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods to characterize and/or quantify 27 ARG targets in soils from 20 replicate, long-term no-till plots, before and after swine manure application and simulated rainfall and runoff. All samples were negative for the 10 b-lactamase genes assayed. For tetracycline resistance, only source …

Infection Control In Total Knee Replacement Prosthesis Using Nitric Oxide Releasing Biomaterials, Ashley Widing

Master's Theses

Replacing a weight-bearing joint is accompanied by long procedures, even longer recovery times, and intensive monitoring. This burden increases after infection; a complication requiring revision surgeries and therefore extensive additional recovery time. Infection can present itself at any time during the process, making it hard to predict. Currently, a two-part revision surgery is completed by removing all infected tissue and implanting an antibiotic spacer. The spacer fills the joint gap and is removed prior to the revision total knee replacement. A revision total knee replacement follows the same procedure as the initial surgery. Not only is this detrimental to patient …

Adenovirus Co-Opts Neutrophilic Inflammation In Order To Enhance Entry Into Epithelial Cells, James Matthew Readler

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Human adenoviruses (AdV) are double-stranded DNA viruses that can cause a range of diseases. While AdV respiratory infections are often mild and self-limited, severe manifestations such as fulminant pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are not uncommon. In order to identify potential modalities to treat AdV infections and potentially enhance the effectiveness of AdV vector delivery, a thorough mechanistic understanding of how AdV enters host cells is needed. Previous studies have revealed polarized epithelia, one of the primary targets for AdV respiratory infections, are highly resistant to AdV entry from the apical (luminal) surface. However, upon exposure to interleukin …

Fatigue Identification And Management In Flight Training: An Investigation Of Collegiate Aviation Pilots, Flavio A. C. Mendonca Ph.D.

Publications

Pilot fatigue is a significant hazard affecting flight operations;

• Generally the product of one or more factors: Disrupted or lack of sleep;
• Inadequate food and or fluid intake;
• Mental;
• and Physical fatigue.

Previous studies have focused on military and commercial flight operations;

• Little to nothing has been done to investigate fatigue identification & management by general aviation pilots!

Towards The Rational Design And Application Of Polymers For Gene Therapy: Internalization And Intracellular Fate, Landon Alexander Mott

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Gene therapy is an approach for the treatment of acquired cancers, infectious disease, degenerative disease, and inherited genetic indications. Developments in the fields of immunotherapies and CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing are revitalizing the efforts to move gene therapy to the forefront of modern medicine. However, slow progress and poor clinical outcomes have plagued the field due to regulatory and safety concerns associated with the flagship delivery vector, the recombinant virus. Immunogenicity and poor transduction in certain cell types severely limits the utility of viruses as a delivery agent of nucleic acids. As a result, significant efforts are being made to develop …

Analysis Of User Preference With N95 And Powered Air-Purifying Respirators In A Healthcare Work Environment, Brittany Renee Carver

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

For those working in the healthcare field, personal protective equipment is vital. Healthcare workers are often first responders when it comes to dealing with patients who are infected or when a disease outbreak occurs. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires all healthcare operations to provide employee protection against blood borne pathogens. With the increase of life-threatening disease outbreaks, such as SARS in 2003 and Ebola in 2014, it is of the upmost importance to make sure respirators are best suited for users and acceptable for long term use. It has been shown through previous studies that due to …

Performance Study Of An Unconventional Breathresponse Papr Against A N95 Ffr And Conventional Paprs, Huihui Yang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Healthcare workers (HCWs) are the first responders when infectious pathogens occur. Powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs) are one of the most widely used personal protective equipment for healthcare workers. Currently, few studies have been performed with HCWs in the actual healthcare work environments to assess discomforts, acceptance and protective efficiency towards wearing and use of PAPRs. The main purpose of this dissertation was to introduce and assess a brand new unconventional PAPR (Koken breath-response PAPR). The protection performance and user preferance of this unconventional PAPR were studided and compared to that of a N95 FFR and traditional PAPRs.

Firstly, a laboratory …

Surface Modification Of Silver Nanoparticle (Agnp) By Liposomal Encapsulation Mitigates Agnp-Induced Inflammation, Azeez O. Yusef, Alan Casey

Articles

Silver nanoparticles (AgNP) are widely used in a variety of consumable products as antibacterial to prevent or treat infection. Unfortunately, evidence exits that AgNP induces inflammation which can worsen with repeated human exposure. However, there is little or no research on how to mitigate these adverse effects due to AgNP induced-toxicity. Here, we investigated if surface modification of AgNP by liposomal encapsulation suppresses AgNP-mediated inflammatory responses in THP1 monocytes and THP1 differentiated macrophages (TDM). AgNP was encapsulated in a dipalmitoyl phosphatidyl choline- (DPPC)/cholesterol-based liposome by extrusion through a 100-nm polycarbonate membrane to form Lipo-AgNP. It was found as expected that …

Age Grading An. Gambiae And An. Arabiensis Using Near Infrared Spectra And Artificial Neural Networks, Masabho Peter Milali, Maggy T. Sikulu-Lord, Samson S. Kiware, Floyd E. Dowell, George F. Corliss, Richard J. Povinelli

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is currently complementing techniques to age-grade mosquitoes. NIRS classifies lab-reared and semi-field raised mosquitoes into < or ≥ 7 days old with an average accuracy of 80%, achieved by training a regression model using partial least squares (PLS) and interpreted as a binary classifier.

Methods and findings

We explore whether using an artificial neural network (ANN) analysis instead of PLS regression improves the current accuracy of NIRS models for age-grading malaria transmitting mosquitoes. We also explore if directly training a binary classifier instead of training a regression model and interpreting it as a binary classifier improves the accuracy. A total of 786 and 870 NIR spectra collected from laboratory reared An. gambiae and An. arabiensis, respectively, were used and pre-processed according …

Monitored Indoor Environmental Quality Of A Mass Timber Office Building: A Case Study, Jason Stenson, Suzanne L. Ishaque, Aurélie Laguerre, Andrew Loia, Georgia Maccrone, Ignace Mugabo, Dale Northcutt, Mariapaola Riggio, Andre Barbosa, Elliott T. Gall, Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

A broad range of building performance monitoring, sampling, and evaluation was conducted periodically after construction and spanning more than a year, for an occupied office building constructed using mass timber elements such as cross-laminated timber (CLT) floor and roof panels, as well as glue-laminated timber (GLT) beams and columns. This case study contributes research on monitoring indoor environmental quality in buildings, describing one of the few studies of an occupied mass timber building, and analyzing data in three areas that impact occupant experience: indoor air quality, bacterial community composition, and floor vibration. As a whole, the building was found to …

On Classification In Human-Driven And Data-Driven Systems, Qunwei Li

Dissertations - ALL

Classification systems are ubiquitous, and the design of effective classification algorithms has been an even more active area of research since the emergence of machine learning techniques. Despite the significant efforts devoted to training and feature selection in classification systems, misclassifications do occur and their effects can be critical in various applications. The central goal of this thesis is to analyze classification problems in human-driven and data-driven systems, with potentially unreliable components and design effective strategies to ensure reliable and effective classification algorithms in such systems. The components/agents in the system can be machines and/or humans. The system components can …

Exploring Structure-Property Relationships Of Gags To Tailor Ecm-Mimicking Hydrogels, Ralf Zimmermann, Carsten Werner, James Sterling

Business and Information Technology Faculty Research & Creative Works

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are a class of linear polysaccharides that are ubiquitous in the extracellular matrix (ECM) and on cell surfaces. Due to their key role in development, homeostasis, pathogenesis, and regeneration, GAGs are increasingly used in the design of ECM-mimicking hydrogels to stimulate tissue formation and regenerative processes via specifically orchestrated cell-instructive signals. These applications first and foremost build on the ability of GAGs to effectively bind, protect, and release morphogens. The specificity and strength of morphogen-GAG interactions are largely governed by the number and spatial distribution of negatively charged sulfate groups carried by GAGs. Herein, we summarize a mean-field …