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Utilizing Date Pits In Microencapsulation: Effect Of Different Variations On Probiotic Survivability Under In Vitro Digestion, Asmaa Samir Al Hamayda Nov 2022

Utilizing Date Pits In Microencapsulation: Effect Of Different Variations On Probiotic Survivability Under In Vitro Digestion, Asmaa Samir Al Hamayda

Theses

This work deals with the medicinal use of date pit powder, which turns it from a waste product to a useful stabilizer for the release of beneficial probiotics in the human intestine. The main objective of this work is to encapsulate probiotics with date pit beads and their subsequent release in the human intestine. The beads were formed using gravitational dripping technique, while INFOGEST protocol was used to test the digested beads and the release of viable probiotic cells. For the three date varieties Raziz, Naghal and Khadrawy, it was found that 0.1 g of date pit powder per 0.2 …


The Potent And Selective Histamine H3 Receptor Antagonist E169 Alleviates Cognitive Deficits And Mitigates Disturbed Pi3k/Akt/Gsk-3Β Signaling Pathway In Mk801-Induced Amnesia In Mice, Sabna Tagelsir Hassan Abdalla Nov 2022

The Potent And Selective Histamine H3 Receptor Antagonist E169 Alleviates Cognitive Deficits And Mitigates Disturbed Pi3k/Akt/Gsk-3Β Signaling Pathway In Mk801-Induced Amnesia In Mice, Sabna Tagelsir Hassan Abdalla

Theses

The role of Histamine H3 Receptors (H3Rs) in memory and the prospective of H3R antagonists in pharmacological control of neurodegenerative disorders, e.g., Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is well-accepted. Therefore, the procognitive effects of acute systemic administration of H3R antagonist E169 (2.5-10 mg/kg, i.p.) on MK801- induced amnesia using the Novel Object Recognition Test (NORT) paradigm in C57BL/6J mice were evaluated. E169 (5 mg) provided a significant memory-improving effect on MK801-induced short- and long-term memory impairments in NORT. The E169 (5 mg) provided effects were comparable to those observed with the Phosphatidyl Inositol 3-Kinase (PI3K) inhibitor LY294002 and were abrogated with the …


Analysis Of The Relationship Between Ieq And Energy Consumption In Uae University Building: Impact Of Thermal And Lighting Comfort On Energy Usage, Salama Abdulla Al Ghaithi Nov 2022

Analysis Of The Relationship Between Ieq And Energy Consumption In Uae University Building: Impact Of Thermal And Lighting Comfort On Energy Usage, Salama Abdulla Al Ghaithi

Theses

The Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ) of buildings becomes increasingly critical as people spend more than 90% of their time inside buildings based on the National Human Activity Pattern Survey (NHAPS) (Klepeis et al., 2001). The quality of the indoor environment in a building has been shown to have a significant impact on users' productivity and energy consumption. Further, if tenants are working in a comfortable indoor environment, absenteeism rates and incidental expenses, such as medical expenses, will be reduced. For instance, a comfortable workplace increases productivity by 10-15% and reduces absenteeism by 2.5% (Leyten & Boerstra, 2003). According to the …


Sludge-Based Activated Carbon: Characterization And Performance For Removal Of Methylene Blue From Aqueous Solution, Ahmad Anwar Al Madhoon Nov 2022

Sludge-Based Activated Carbon: Characterization And Performance For Removal Of Methylene Blue From Aqueous Solution, Ahmad Anwar Al Madhoon

Theses

Domestic wastewater treatment plants in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) produce 122 thousand tons of dried sludge annually. About 70% of this sludge is dumped in landfills, creating water and soil contamination. Sludge is an energy-rich organic material that could be converted into activated carbon by thermal or chemical processes. Potassium hydroxide has shown great potential as an activating agent for producing high-quality sludge based activated carbon (SBAC). However, its use adds to the cost of the production process. Thus, there is a need for an alternative activating agent that is not costly. One possible chemical is carbide lime which …


The Effect Of Licogliflozin (Sglt1/2 Inhibitor) On Diabetes And Cardiac Complications, Alanoud Gharib Alblooshi Nov 2022

The Effect Of Licogliflozin (Sglt1/2 Inhibitor) On Diabetes And Cardiac Complications, Alanoud Gharib Alblooshi

Theses

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic endocrine disease affecting millions of people worldwide. In spite of the advances made in the management of DM, poor glycemic control and diabetes complications are still very common. There is a continuous search for new and more effective drugs to treat DM. One of the drugs currently in clinical trials for the treatment of DM is licogliflozin (LIK066), a dual SGLT1/2 inhibitor, which can be used to treat obesity and diabetes. LIK066 inhibits glucose reabsorption in the kidney and small intestine, thereby reducing hyperglycemia. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of licogliflozin on …


Screening For Endophytic Actinobacteria To Enhance Growth And Salinity Tolerance Of Tomato Plants In The United Arab, Amira Hamdy Hassan Nov 2022

Screening For Endophytic Actinobacteria To Enhance Growth And Salinity Tolerance Of Tomato Plants In The United Arab, Amira Hamdy Hassan

Theses

Salinity is one of the most decisive environmental factors limiting the productivity of crop plants, mainly in arid and semi-arid regions. An eco-friendly technology can be used to boost crop production in saline areas by using plant growth-bacteria. Endophytic actinobacteria that produce the enzyme 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-Carboxylic acid (ACC) Deaminase (ACCD) can modulate the levels of Ethylene (ET) in plants to reduce the effect of abiotic stresses including high salt stress. The main objectives of this study were to: (1) Evaluate endophytic actinobacterial isolates from healthy tomato plants cultivated in the UAE that are capable of producing ACCD in vitro; (2) …


Distribution Of Erm Proteins In The Stomach Mucosa Of Normal And Diabetic Rats, Asmaa Salem Al Sereidi Nov 2022

Distribution Of Erm Proteins In The Stomach Mucosa Of Normal And Diabetic Rats, Asmaa Salem Al Sereidi

Theses

Diabetes mellitus (DM), or simply diabetes, refers to a group of metabolic disorders that include a variety of diseases that disrupt our body's metabolism. The long-term uncontrolled disease can lead to stomach complications such as gastroparesis, as well as disruption in several proteins, such as ERM (Ezrin, radixin, moesin) proteins. ERM proteins are three proteins that are structurally and functionally related. ERM proteins have molecular masses of 82, 80, and 75 kDa, respectively. Ezrin is highly expressed in the stomach, especially in parietal cells that secrete gastric acid. ERM proteins function as scaffolding proteins in lipid rafts and granule trafficking …


Virtual Laboratories For Stem Education: An Evaluation Model And Comparison, Jumana Mahmoud Kharsa Nov 2022

Virtual Laboratories For Stem Education: An Evaluation Model And Comparison, Jumana Mahmoud Kharsa

Theses

Laboratory work is key to science education, and virtual environments play a vital role in remote learning. This thesis is concerned with the evaluation of virtual laboratories used in educational fields, mainly in STEM courses. This research investigates the basic criteria for evaluating virtual environments used in science education in order to create an evaluation scale. We reviewed the literature to highlight the main guidelines of evaluating virtual laboratories and found that the most common evaluation features for virtual tools are Ease of Use, Usefulness, Motivation, Interface Design, and Realism. Upon generating the assessment scale, we selected two web-based interactive …


Improving The Growth Performance Of The Mangrove Avicennia Marina Seedlings Using Plant Growth Promoting Actinobacteria, Alanoud Abdulla Al Shamsi Nov 2022

Improving The Growth Performance Of The Mangrove Avicennia Marina Seedlings Using Plant Growth Promoting Actinobacteria, Alanoud Abdulla Al Shamsi

Theses

The combination of commercial fish emulsion (FE) and plant growth-promoting actinobacteria capable of producing plant growth regulators (PGRs) was evaluated as a biofertilizer to enhance growth and development of grey mangrove (Avicennia marina) in the United Arab Emirates. In vitro studies identified the rhizosphere-competent Streptomyces griseorubens UAE1 (Sg) that was able to solubilize phosphorus, produce auxins, cytokinins, gibberellic acid, polyamines, and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase. Growth promotion, nutrient contents and PGR levels in tissues of treated mangrove plants with fish emulsion and/or S. griseorubens UAE1 were further assessed in vivo. Under greenhouse and natural open-field nursery conditions, …


Enhancement Of Phenolic Recovery And Bioactivity Of Date Palm Leaf Extract Using Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents And Green Extraction Technology, Raghad Shehadeh Abdal Rahman Nov 2022

Enhancement Of Phenolic Recovery And Bioactivity Of Date Palm Leaf Extract Using Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents And Green Extraction Technology, Raghad Shehadeh Abdal Rahman

Theses

This study was designed to explore date palm leaves, an agro by-product, as a potential source of natural polyphenolic compounds using appropriate green Natural Deep Eutectic Solvent (NADES) and emerging green extraction technologies. Herein, six different NADES were prepared using six different hydrogen donors and choline chloride as hydrogen bond acceptor at a molar ratio of 1:2 (w/w) and different NADES concentrations (10, 20, 40, and 80%, in water, at 40°C). Among the studied NADES, Glycerol-based NADES showed higher phenolic yield compared to saccharide and organic acid-based NADES. Afterward, to enhance the extraction efficiency, NADES were coupled with microwave (MAE-NADES) …


An Appreciative Inquiry Of Community Based Disability Sports And Physical Activity Provision To Guide Future Development, Jennifer O Carroll Reidy Nov 2022

An Appreciative Inquiry Of Community Based Disability Sports And Physical Activity Provision To Guide Future Development, Jennifer O Carroll Reidy

Theses

In 2008, the Irish Sports Inclusion Disability Programme (SIDP) was established to provide opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in a variety of sports and physical activity. Regular monitoring has been sporadic and disparate (Sport Ireland, 2016). Using the four-stage method of Appreciative Inquiry (Cooperrider, 1987), a series of interviews was undertaken with providers of the SIDP. Fourteen Coordinators, SIDOs and sports development workers were interviewed about the strengths, impacts and future for the SIDP. Six participants of the programmes also took part in a focus group concerning their perspectives of the current state and future potential for the …


Towards The Detection And Analysis Of Performance Regression Introducing Code Changes, Deema Adeeb Alshoaibi Nov 2022

Towards The Detection And Analysis Of Performance Regression Introducing Code Changes, Deema Adeeb Alshoaibi

Theses

In contemporary software development, developers commonly conduct regression testing to ensure that code changes do not affect software quality. Performance regression testing is an emerging research area from the regression testing domain in software engineering. Performance regression testing aims to maintain the system's performance. Conducting performance regression testing is known to be expensive. It is also complex, considering the increase of committed code and developing team members working simultaneously. Many automated regression testing techniques have been proposed in prior research. However, challenges in the practice of locating and resolving performance regression still exist. Directing regression testing to the commit level …


Optical Properties Of Macetch-Fabricated Porous Silicon Nanowire Arrays, Kyle G. Tezanos Nov 2022

Optical Properties Of Macetch-Fabricated Porous Silicon Nanowire Arrays, Kyle G. Tezanos

Theses

The increasing demand for complex devices that utilize unique, three-dimensional nanostructures has spurred the development of controllable and versatile semiconductor fabrication techniques. However, there exists a need to refine such methodologies to overcome existing processing constraints that compromise device performance and evolution. Conventional wet etching techniques (e.g., crystallographic KOH etching of Si) successfully generate textured Si structures with smooth sidewalls but lack the capabilities of controllably producing high aspectratio structures. Alternatively, dry etching techniques (e.g., reactive-ion etching), while highly controllable and capable of generating vertically aligned, high aspect-ratio structures for IC technologies, introduce considerable sidewall and lattice damage as a …


Investigating Teachers’ And Lead Teachers' Perspectives On The Impact Of Stream On Enhancing Teaching, Learning And Professionalism In The Emirates Schools Establishment, Hosam Rashad Badawy Nov 2022

Investigating Teachers’ And Lead Teachers' Perspectives On The Impact Of Stream On Enhancing Teaching, Learning And Professionalism In The Emirates Schools Establishment, Hosam Rashad Badawy

Theses

STREAM education is the latest development of STEM and STEAM educational approaches in the United Arab Emirates schools. It is gaining traction because of the global market's massive economic and technological advancement, as STREAM employment is in growing demand. Educational policymakers and leaders in the UAE advocate for the development and implementation of STREAM to enhance innovation and entrepreneurship skills, leading to a drastic shift in teaching, learning and professionalism. According to the study, the STREAM approach enhances teachers' professionalism, students' creative skills and the learning of 21st century survival skills such as communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, digital …


Effect Of Carnosol On G Protein-Coupled Receptor Signaling In Cancer Cells, Laith Jehad Ahmad Abudawood Nov 2022

Effect Of Carnosol On G Protein-Coupled Receptor Signaling In Cancer Cells, Laith Jehad Ahmad Abudawood

Theses

Carnosol is a plant polyphenol compound known for its beneficial properties against human diseases such as cancer and diabetes. However, the exact molecular and cellular mechanisms involved, and its molecular targets are not fully known. Carnosol was shown to bind and to modulate specific intracellular signaling proteins in cancer cell lines. In this study, we hypothesized that carnosol may pharmacologically target specific cell surface receptors including G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) and Receptor Tyrosine Kinase (RTKs). Therefore, we tested the pharmacological effect of carnosol on the following receptors: Insulin Receptor (IR), Chemokine CXCL12 Receptor (CXCR4), Angiotensin II (AngII) Receptor (AT1R), Glucagon-Like …


Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated From Fresh Vegetable Products: Potential Probiotic And Postbiotic Characteristics Including Immunomodulatory Effects, Fatima Khaled Alameri Nov 2022

Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated From Fresh Vegetable Products: Potential Probiotic And Postbiotic Characteristics Including Immunomodulatory Effects, Fatima Khaled Alameri

Theses

The ability to perform effectively in the gastrointestinal system (GIT) is one of the most significant criteria for selecting the best probiotic bacteria. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the potential probiotic characteristics of some selected lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from vegetable products. Probiotic characteristics included tolerance to acid and bile, cholesterol removing ability, bile salt hydrolysis, resistance against lysozyme and antibiotics, production of exopolysaccharides (EPS), antimicrobial and hemolytic activities, and cell surface characteristics (auto-aggregation, co-aggregation, and hydrophobicity). Out of 46 isolates, 17 isolates that exhibited remarkable survivability under gastrointestinal conditions were selected for further analysis. Almost all …


Why Post- Leaving Certificate Students In Ireland From Disadvantaged Backgrounds Are Less Likely To Proceed To Third-Level Education, Edward Hayes Nov 2022

Why Post- Leaving Certificate Students In Ireland From Disadvantaged Backgrounds Are Less Likely To Proceed To Third-Level Education, Edward Hayes

Theses

Educational disadvantage continues to be a cause for concern, and addressing it remains at the forefront of education policy in Ireland (Houses of Oireachtas, 2019; Weir et al., 2017). This research extended across the academic years 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 and during the period of the global COVID-19 pandemic, which imposed public health measures, and enforced an emergency online digital learning environment. A socio-economic profile of Ireland’s student body registered an attainment gap between rich and poor, finding that young people from backgrounds of disadvantage continue to be underrepresented at third-level when compared to their middle-class counterparts (HEA, 2020). The primary …


Detailing The Effects Of Cbd On Parp And Survivin Expression In Ewing Sarcoma, Tyler Carter Oct 2022

Detailing The Effects Of Cbd On Parp And Survivin Expression In Ewing Sarcoma, Tyler Carter

Theses

Ewing sarcoma (ES) is an aggressive pediatric bone cancer with low five-year survival rates, particularly with recurrent disease because ES often becomes resistant to chemotherapy in these recurrences. Cannabidiol (CBD) has been identified as a potentially promising therapeutic for patients with ES. In other cancer types, CBD has demonstrated effects on two major proteins that contribute to chemotherapy resistance. The first, Poly (ADP-ribose) Polymerase I (PARP1), is a DNA damage repair enzyme that is overexpressed in recurrent ES. Though chemotherapy induces DNA damage in these cancer cells, the high levels of PARP1 facilitate repair of the DNA, allowing the mutated …


Determining Suitable Green Biorefinery Locations In Ireland For Irish Agriculture Using Co-Design, Economic And Geographical Information Systems, Alice Hand Oct 2022

Determining Suitable Green Biorefinery Locations In Ireland For Irish Agriculture Using Co-Design, Economic And Geographical Information Systems, Alice Hand

Theses

The aim of this thesis is to investigate potential locations for a suitable green biorefinery model in Ireland, which would offer an opportunity for sustainable diversification to grassland farmers. A mixed method approach was used to collect data to support the design and analyse a green biorefinery model. A three phased methodology was applied representing the Co-design, Economic and the Geographical Information Systems analysis phase. Key stakeholders identified in the co-design phase included farmers, cooperatives, market partners as having a direct impact on a biorefinery. This provided insight to the farmers preferred model. Using these findings, an economic assessment was …


Investigating The Role Of Natural Killer (Nk) Cells In Ozanimod-Mediated Remission In Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (Eae) In C57bl/6 Mice, Doua Youssef Kamyan Oct 2022

Investigating The Role Of Natural Killer (Nk) Cells In Ozanimod-Mediated Remission In Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (Eae) In C57bl/6 Mice, Doua Youssef Kamyan

Theses

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an important model of multiple sclerosis (MS) in rodents. The disease is characterized by axonal damages mediated by activated autoreactive T lymphocytes, microglia, and macrophages. Ozanimod (RPC1063) is an immunomodulator that has been recently approved by the FDA for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (2020) and ulcerative colitis (2021). It is a selective agonist of the sphingosine1-phophate receptors (1 and 5) involved in lymphocyte trafficking and expressed on naïve and central memory T and B cells as well as NK cells. Ozanimod acts by inducing internalization and degradation of the S1PR which in turn …


Water Microbial Pollution Risk Simulation And Prediction Using Ml, Dania Al Safadi Oct 2022

Water Microbial Pollution Risk Simulation And Prediction Using Ml, Dania Al Safadi

Theses

Water quality has been a global concern due to its scarcity as well as it is direct effects on wellbeing and food production. Therefore, many studies have been addressing this matter in order to address the consequences left behind. Consider the harmful effects of polluted water moving uninterrupted over vast distances and through countless homes. The water we drink, cook with, and bathe in would not be safe requiring an immediate response in order to reduce the damage as a direct result of the pollution. The aim of this study was to develop models that could evaluate the microbial water …


A Hybrid Time-Series Pv Power Forecasting Model Implementing Facebook Prophet And Neural Prophet Algorithms, Afra Nasser Al Mansoori, Fatima Ahmed Al Ajami, Maha Ali Mousa Oct 2022

A Hybrid Time-Series Pv Power Forecasting Model Implementing Facebook Prophet And Neural Prophet Algorithms, Afra Nasser Al Mansoori, Fatima Ahmed Al Ajami, Maha Ali Mousa

Theses

Globally, countries are limiting their dependency on conventional energy as their primary energy source. From this perspective, the ongoing integration of renewable energy sources with existing systems is the focus of researchers and power utilities. Photovoltaics (PV) is one of the leading solar technologies driving substantial growth in renewable energy applications. Consequently, power utilities are faced with large penetration of PV systems within the existing electrical grid. This ongoing integration introduces new electricity generation profiles, which raises technical challenges affecting grid reliability. Therefore, this work proposes building a PV power short-term forecasting model, which can avoid adverse outcomes of large …


Development Of Phage Therapy Strategies Against Gram-Positive Bacterial Pathogens, Sara Arroyo Moreno Sep 2022

Development Of Phage Therapy Strategies Against Gram-Positive Bacterial Pathogens, Sara Arroyo Moreno

Theses

Bacterial resistance to conventional antibiotics has become an urgent healthcare issue worldwide. In this light, a renewed interest has emerged for therapy with bacteriophages (phages), which are viruses that can specifically infect bacteria. These viruses encode different proteins that degrade specific bonds within the bacterial cell wall, both to inject their genomic material into the bacterial cells and to release the viral progeny: virion-associated hydrolases and endolysins, respectively. Elimination of Gram-positive pathogens with recombinant versions of phage enzymes represents a promising alternative to classical antibiotics. In this thesis, different phage therapy strategies involving either whole phages or the use of …


A New Method For Cluster Life Cycle Stage Identification: Mapping The Evolution Of The Biomedical Competitiveness Cluster Of Wallonia., Conor Michael Harte Sep 2022

A New Method For Cluster Life Cycle Stage Identification: Mapping The Evolution Of The Biomedical Competitiveness Cluster Of Wallonia., Conor Michael Harte

Theses

National governments and policy makers alike need data and expertise as they seek to develop accurate and relevant cluster policies and initiatives. It is argued that clusters also have life cycles similar to the way industries, products, and technologies have a life cycle, including a variety of stages (Ingstrup and Damgaard, 2013; Jia et al., 2015; Fornahl and Hassink, 2017; Ferrari et al., 2020). This research addresses three objectives: 1. Analyse the longitudinal development of a cluster to record, measure and analyse its evolution over a three-year period; 2. Create a new methodology to support cluster life cycle stage identification; …


Understanding The Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear And Explosive (Cbrne) Defense Policy Making Process Through Historical And Current Event Analysis, Michaela Christine Mesiti Sep 2022

Understanding The Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear And Explosive (Cbrne) Defense Policy Making Process Through Historical And Current Event Analysis, Michaela Christine Mesiti

Theses

Understanding Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) defense policies is critical in promoting safety to civilian and military personnel in the United States and globally. This thesis first examines a few of the most significant CBRNE policies in history, their place in the world today, and how their creation has impacted society. Utilizing two canonical policy making models– the “linear model” and the “policy stream model”– a range of case studies are analyzed to examine how decision-making behind CBRNE policy compares with other comparable policy domains, particularly non-CBRNE biotechnology innovation. The likelihood of proactivity and the potential influence of …


The Performance Of Biomimicry Architecture In Sustainable Design For A Mixed-Use Workplace In Shanghai (Sustainable Design), Weihong Liu Sep 2022

The Performance Of Biomimicry Architecture In Sustainable Design For A Mixed-Use Workplace In Shanghai (Sustainable Design), Weihong Liu

Theses

Abstract Sustainable architecture design is becoming more and more popular all over the world, especially in China. Active sustainable strategies play an important role in sustainable architecture design such as solar panels, wind turbines, and roof gardens. However, this Thesis will find some new passive ways to improve the sustainability of buildings by proving bionic technology. The thesis seeks to integrate living organisms into buildings to improve the sustainability of buildings and generate sustainable resources. This main focus is biomimetics. The technology used in the design of architecture sustainability. Bionics or biomimicry refers to artificial processes or systems that mimic …


Coupled Oscillators: Protein And Acoustics, Angelique N. Mcfarlane Aug 2022

Coupled Oscillators: Protein And Acoustics, Angelique N. Mcfarlane

Theses

This work encompassed three different vibrational energy transfer studies of coupled resonators (metal, topological, and microtubule comparison) inspired by the lattices of microtubules from regular and cancerous cells. COMSOL Multiphysics 5.4 was utilized to design the experiment. The simulation starts with an acoustic pressure study to examine the vibrational modes present in coupled cylinders, representing α-, β-tubulin heterodimers. The Metal Study consisted of 3 models (monomer, dimer, and trimer) to choose the correct height (40 mm) and mode (Mode 1) for study. The Topological Study was run to predict and understand how the lattice structure changes over a parametric sweep …


Impacts Of Drugs On Neurotransmission, Wenrong He Aug 2022

Impacts Of Drugs On Neurotransmission, Wenrong He

Theses

The most sophisticated and mysterious human organ is the brain. The human brain is made up of billions of neurons, which are working nonstop to send and receive messages to regulate the body’s basic functions. Neurons communicate by releasing neurotransmitters from a sending neuron into the synapse, then a receiving neuron picks up the signals on its receptors from neurotransmitters. Drugs can interfere with the communication between neurons in the brain. They can affect the way people feel, react or behave. Drug use impacts the brain’s neuronal circuits which may lead to inflexible behaviors, lack of self-control, and compulsive drug …


Bayesian Inference And Prediction In Cardiac Electrophysiology Models With An Application To Representing Variability, Alejandro Nieto Ramos Aug 2022

Bayesian Inference And Prediction In Cardiac Electrophysiology Models With An Application To Representing Variability, Alejandro Nieto Ramos

Theses

Many different techniques have been used for parameter estimation in cardiac electrophysiology models, from optimization algorithms to heuristic and frequentist statistical methods. However, the fixed parameter values obtained from such approaches cannot provide a complete description of variability within an individual or across a population. To overcome this shortcoming, in this work we adopt a Bayesian approach by applying the Hamiltonian Monte Carlo (HMC) algorithm to cardiac electrophysiology models and data for the first time through three studies. (i) Using HMC, we fit synthetic and experimental cardiac voltage data from different pacing rates and find the probability distributions of the …


Microengineering Aligned Collagen Substrates In Microfluidic Systems, Adeel Ahmed Aug 2022

Microengineering Aligned Collagen Substrates In Microfluidic Systems, Adeel Ahmed

Theses

Cells in vivo are surrounded by a fibrous matrix of proteins and macromolecules called the extracellular matrix (ECM), of which type I collagen is the major constituent. During tissue development or cell-matrix interactions, collagen fibers organize into aligned domains with defined degrees of alignment and directionality. Aligned fibers guide stem cell differentiation and influence cell-cell communication and cell motility. In the tumor microenvironment, aligned fibers guide tumor cell invasion and have been linked to poor patient outcomes. Since fiber alignment instructs cell behavior in vivo, there is a need for in vitro models to replicate fiber alignment and thus provide …