Matching Items (429)
Description
The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) plays an integral role in brain functions such as attention, emotion, decision-making, and cognitive control. However, the functional specialization of its subregions remains unclear due to methodological limitations in existing literature in this sphere and a lack of neuromodulatory techniques that can precisely target deep brain regions such as the ACC. Here we investigate the efficacy of transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) as a noninvasive neuromodulation tool for mapping the functional roles of dorsal and rostral ACC subregions. Combining high-resolution neuromodulation with electroencephalography (EEG) and behavioral tasks, this study demonstrates that tFUS can selectively enhance cognitive performance in reward-biased contexts, particularly through stimulation of the dorsal ACC (dACC). It was found that stimulation of the dACC led to changes in reward-biased decision-making tasks, providing preliminary evidence for its potential role in motivated control allocation. Stimulation of the rACC produced subtler effects, suggesting a more specific contribution to emotional valuation and affective processing. From these findings, it can be stated that tFUS can be used not only as a research tool for identifying subregional specializations of the ACC but potentially as a therapeutic technique for targeting ACC-related dysfunction in psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, and ADHD.
ContributorsMisra, Naina (Author) / Santello, Marco (Thesis director) / Blais, Chris (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / School of Biological & Health Systems Engineering (Contributor)
Created2025-05
Description
Despite growing advances in the manufacturing and availability of allogeneic cell therapies, one of the most significant clinical limitations remains the requirement for systemic immunosuppression to prevent immune mediated rejection of donor cells, which increases the risk of serious complications such as opportunistic infections, malignancies, and generalized
immunosuppressive toxicity. To overcome this challenge and expand the clinical applicability of allogeneic therapies, growing interest has been placed on strategies such as trophoblast stem cells (TSCs) that induce local immunological tolerance at the graft site rather than requiring systemic immunosuppression. Our study provides insights into how both material properties and cellular composition modulate host inflammation at the transplant site. We evaluated specifically the impact of TSC co-delivery, hydrogel degradation rate, and material type on local inflammatory responses using human HEK cells as a standardized bystander cell population. Our results support the feasibility of using TSCs to suppress local immune activation in transplant settings, particularly when used in combination with natural materials like alginate with slow 10kDa degradation that minimize immune system exposure. We demonstrated that hydrogel material composition and degradation kinetics significantly influence this immune response, pointing to material type and degradation rate as important variables in hydrogel scaffold design for future immuno-engineering applications.
ContributorsMisra, Aditya (Author) / Weaver, Jessica (Thesis director) / Hiremath, Shivani (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / School of Biological & Health Systems Engineering (Contributor)
Created2025-05
Description
Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disorder that occurs due to the destruction of the beta cells in the pancreas by the immune system, hindering insulin formation. Macroencapsulation is a therapeutic treatment for patients with Type 1 Diabetes that may reduce the need for immunosuppression. However, a disadvantage of macroencapsulation is poor oxygen transport which affects survival and function. Computational finite element analysis was performed to assess the effect of oxygen consumption of varying macroencapsulation device Geometries with loading densities of 5 IEQ\𝜇L,10 IEQ\𝜇L, 25 IEQ\𝜇L and 50 IEQ\𝜇L. In the findings of this study, we validated that decreasing the spiral’s diameter would improve the oxygen supply due to the high SA:V ratio.
ContributorsDharan, Ruhi (Author) / Weaver, Jessica (Thesis director) / Abdallah, Tuhfah (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor)
Created2025-05
Description
Although safe and clean water is a fundamental human right, many people around the world do not possess access to it daily. In rural Kenya, the lack of water availability is a common challenge villages face. To address this issue, the combined Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) and Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Water Accessibility Team designed, built, and implemented a rainwater catchment system at Naki Secondary School in Naki, Kenya. After examining the project site and identifying the specifications of the stakeholders further, the structural design was altered to better meet user needs and design requirements. Due to these alterations, the Naki community now has a reliable source of clean water.
ContributorsMcMillan, Tatum (Author) / Schoepf, Jared (Thesis director) / Malpe, Adwith (Committee member) / Langerud, Courtney (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / School of Biological & Health Systems Engineering (Contributor)
Created2025-05
Description
Alzheimer's disease is a rapidly growing public health crisis. This challenging neurodegenerative disease starts with a prolonged pre-clinical phase, known as Mild Cognitive Impairment. (MCI) Researchers advocate for the importance in diagnosing individuals with MCI to prevent further disease progression. Current diagnostic approaches are not sufficient because they don't capture the fluctuant behavior expected with MCI symptoms; consequently, researchers have been exploring how studying lifestyle and routine data of individuals can improve diagnosis accuracy. The goal of this thesis was to contribute towards a working-effort in creating a machine learning model that can supplement the clinical diagnosis of MCI using naturalistic driving data. By implementing a state-of-the-art algorithm known ROCKET with classical machine learning classifiers, my work aims to help design a model that can accurately diagnose individuals with MCI.
ContributorsLimaye, Anushka (Author) / Wu, Teresa (Thesis director) / Forzani, Erica (Committee member) / Al-Hindawi, Firas (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / School of Biological & Health Systems Engineering (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor)
Created2025-05
Description
Efficient transfection is essential for genetic engineering and biological research applications, yet optimizing protocol for different payloads and cell types remains challenging. Untranslated regions (UTRs) are non-coding sequences derived from Zika virus (ZIKV) that influence RNA stability and translation efficiency. This study evaluated linear DNA as a rapid, PCR-based alternative to plasmid DNA for transient gene delivery, particularly in the context of high-throughput experiments. The goal was to determine whether incorporating UTRs could enhance expression stability in linearly transfected cells. Human embryonic kidney (HEK293) and human microglial (HMC3) cells were transfected with GFP constructs delivered via plasmid, linear, or viral transfection methods, both with and without ZIKV UTRs. GFP expression was tracked over 10 days, and fluorescence decay rates were analyzed using linear regression. Linear transfection was validated as a viable technique in both cell lines, demonstrating comparable expression behavior to plasmid and viral methods. However, the addition of ZIKV UTRs did not significantly alter GFP decay rates in any method. These findings suggest that while linear DNA offers advantages in speed and scalability, UTRs alone may be insufficient to sustain expression. Future work should explore additional viral elements or delivery enhancements to improve expression profiles in transfection systems.
ContributorsLariego, Ava Claire (Author) / Bartelle, Benjamin (Thesis director) / Borges Florsheim, Esther (Committee member) / Ochoa Zermeño, Santiago (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / School of Biological & Health Systems Engineering (Contributor)
Created2025-05
Description
This dissertation delivers a timely scholarly conversation on differently imagined grassroots feminist politics in a non-Western neoliberal authoritarian context. The project pivots on a central inquiry: how do Chinese rural migrant women, whose lifetimes are cast under the shadows of “Made in China” global production and punctuated by multiple concurrent neoliberal crises, collectively give birth to community power for radical livability? Drawing from extensive ethnographic fieldnotes, six oral history interviews, and archival studies, the dissertation employs community-based participatory action research to document and advance community organizing efforts by Green Rose (hence GR), a migrant women-led grassroots collective in Shenzhen. Set against the historical backdrop of China’s post-socialist reform when South China emerged as the world’s factory for manufacturing globalization, my study traces the trajectories in which a group of migrant women, upon gaining exposure to transnational labor NGO activism in the early 2000s, asserted collective power at the frontline for intersectional gender and class struggles. In the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis, when economic downturns and welfare austerity measures entangled with the resurgence of state authoritarianism targeting civic actions, GR women temporarily transitioned to guerrilla activism to bring emancipatory cultural organizing and mutual aid into the social arena of a precarious migrant neighborhood. To survive welfare segregation and economic-political contingencies, GR women tactically established a social work service NGO to translate their depoliticized service labor into radical actions. They animate a sisterhood kinship system to liberate individual care capacity from the privatized household; they reorganize people, spaces, and resources to build a care safety net for all. By foregrounding migrant women as political protagonists in China’s precarious and fragmented civic landscape, my study problematizes both male-dominant labor politics embraced by orthodox Marxist scholars and the mainstream feminist movement sponsored by urban middle-class feminists, all the while exposing the state censorship that attempts and yet fails to erase the history of the marginalized gendered collective.
ContributorsDong, Anzi (Author) / Quan, H. L. T (Thesis advisor) / Fonow, Mary Margaret (Thesis advisor) / Linton, Mellissa (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024
Description
This project investigated how a wearable device with adjustable stiffness affects balance recovery during walking perturbations. Using a controlled experimental setup, we analyzed how subjects responded to trip-like disturbances with the device set to different stiffness levels. The Margin of Stability (MOS) was used as the key outcome measure to assess dynamic balance. Results showed that increased device stiffness generally led to improved stability, though individual responses varied due to differences in body mechanics and neuromuscular strategies. These findings highlight the potential for personalized calibration in balance assistive technologies and rehabilitation interventions.
ContributorsWilliamson, Cory (Author) / Lee, Hyunglae (Thesis director) / Sun, Jiefeng (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / School of Biological & Health Systems Engineering (Contributor)
Created2025-05
Description
Porcine xenotransplantation, commonly known as pig organ transplantation, offers a revolutionary solution to the organ shortage crisis. This thesis explores the social and cultural considerations of transplanting of pig organs into the human body while also assessing the ethical dilemma, impact on the healthcare system, and public health considerations of this treatment. Cultural factors, such as religious beliefs, impact the perception of porcine xenotransplantation and are considered as potential sources of resistance to this technology. Social factors, including healthcare professional’s attitudes and the media’s portrayal of porcine xenotransplantation, contribute to shaping the general public’s perception as well. This thesis discusses the ethical concerns regarding the welfare of pigs and the patients by addressing potential immunological challenges as well as the biomedical engineering challenges accompanying this technological advancement such as immunological challenges and economic burden of this treatment. Future recommendations and emerging biomedical engineering solutions that possess the potential to alleviate the organ shortage crisis are outlined as alternatively viable solutions.
ContributorsNaqvi, Imaan (Author) / Arquiza, Jose Maria Reynaldo Apollo (Thesis director) / Gifford, Michael (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / School of Biological & Health Systems Engineering (Contributor)
Created2025-05