48440 research outputs found
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Ultrasound-Guided Needle Insertion Device for Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy
No full textPhysicians completing surgical urological procedures in medical centers often use fluoroscopy to aid in viewing organs. While this doesn’t harm the patient due to its low radiation amount, the exposure to radiation builds over time for physicians. The need for radiation-free PCNL procedures has been explored, and several ultrasound-based solutions have been offered, but none offer the same level of imaging standards that fluoroscopy has. The purpose of this project is to develop an ultrasound-guided needle insertion device for PCNL procedures that allows physicians to see the needle in the insertion plane of view. We plan to account for needle bending by allowing the physician to refract the image +/- 15 degrees, which will prevent issues involving reinsertion. For the design of this project, we plan on first considering several ultrasound gel materials that will create a strong image contrast while also remaining contained within the device. We will consider contrast versus consistency to determine the best material. We then plan to consider several design options that will allow for clinical precision and accuracy while maintaining a natural feel to the clinician. Upon commencement of our initial research and testing, we were able to make some determinations about potential biomaterials to use as ultrasound gels. After reviewing the current prototypes and determining what changes need to be effectively made, we have also considered several design options that best meet our technical objectives
Covalent Derivatization of Concrete Aggregate Surfaces with a Biomimetic Catalyst for Increased Strength and Self-Healing Behavior
No full textConcrete is one of the world’s most ubiquitous building materials. However, despite its importance, it severely impacts global climate change, as it is responsible for 8% of global carbon emissions. Additionally, concrete is inherently brittle, especially at the aggregate surface, also called the interfacial transition zone (ITZ). Previous work has been done to introduce a biologic catalyst into the cementitious material, in order to drive the production of bicarbonate ions, which in a calcium-rich environment will produce synthetic limestone, calcium carbonate. We have investigated a high pH- and temperature tolerant molecular mimic, zinc(II) 1,4,7,10-Tetraazacyclododecane, known as zinc(cyclen). We propose that we have covalently tethered this small molecule catalyst to the surface of concrete aggregate utilizing the surface chemistry properties of silanes, specifically (3-glycidoxypropyl)trimethoxysilane (GPTMS). Two different approaches were taken to covalently tethering Zn(cyclen) including an Attach then Build stepwise synthesis consisting of silanization followed by covalent cyclen attachment and a Build then Attach approach where GPTMS and Zn(cyclen) are first coupled before being tethered to a surface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) supports the successful attachment of Zn(cyclen) on both a model Si wafer surface and true concrete aggregate sand. The appearance of a zinc-ascribable feature supports the attachment of the molecular mimic. Interestingly, an Attach then Build synthesis yields the highest zinc coverage on a planar silicon surface, but a Build then Attach approach is the most successful on a sand surface. More work is needed to discover the broader impacts on concrete strength and self-healing behavior
Co-Designing MathFlowLens: A Teacher-Focused Tool for Identifying Strategic Thinking in Mathematics
No full textThis project is a second-round development iteration of the MathFlowLens Dashboard, a data visualization tool for teachers that helps them identify their students’ strategic thinking and problem solving pathways. Development is guided by a co-design process where teachers were consulted multiple times to provide feedback and usability data that are analyzed and turned into features that meet those needs. Focus groups with middle school mathematics teachers gave insight into the round-one prototype of the dashboard, the data from which was used to synthesize needs into features that address them. This project’s development saw the inclusion of a new data visualization component that allows teachers to see each individual student’s journey through a problem – as well as several other modifications and accessibility features. As an iterative product, future work should include additional focus groups with teachers and studies to evaluate the effectiveness of the tool
Renewed Research into the Structure and Localization of the Human Torque Teno Virus VP3
No full textThe Circoviridae family of DNA viruses encode small intrinsically disordered proteins with cancer-specific apoptotic abilities. Understanding the mechanisms and structures of these viral proteins may give insight on creating new p53 independent cancer therapeutics. However, these proteins are evasive of most structural characterization techniques due to their intrinsic disorder. These proteins rely on shuttling between the nucleus and cytoplasm to induce apoptosis, which is carried out by their nuclear export sequences (NES) and nuclear localization sequences (NLS). Laying dormant in 90% of the human population is a somewhat forgotten member of the Circoviridae family, the Torque Teno Virus (TTV), which encodes a third viral protein (VP3) known to cause cancer-specific apoptosis. Using structural prediction algorithms and circular dichroism spectroscopy, we determined that the NES and NLS regions of VP3 are likely to be alpha helix secondary structures, while the remainder of the protein is mainly disordered. In MCF7 breast cancer cells, VP3 localizes to the perinuclear space and the NES truncation localizes to the cytoplasm. The NLS truncation may be enriched in the nucleus, but not to a statistically significant extent.
Laboratory Creation MQP
No full textPhysics Education Research (PER) is an important field that works to create more enjoyable and informative classroom experiments. I used concepts from PER including Backwards Design and Integrated Science Learning Environment to create a nuclear physics lab for the course: Intermediate Physics Laboratory (IPL) at WPI. A small study consisting of pre-, mid-, and post-lab questions was conducted with students taking IPL in order to make edits to the lab packet. The results suggest that this lab is enjoyable and informative, however more rigorous studies need to be done in order to determine if it is a significant increase over other labs
Developing a Perfusion System to Culture LeaVS
No full textApproximately 40% of patients hospitalized for burns suffer from full-thickness wounds [1]. Treating these wounds is a challenge because loss of the entirety of both the epidermis and dermis skin layers, and their vasculature within, prevents regrowth. These wounds require engraftment for revascularization before healing. The gold standard for full-thickness burn wound treatment is a full thickness autograft which, while effective, experiences complications with graft vascularization in the stages immediately after transplantation where the graft is surviving on passive diffusion from surrounding vascularized tissues alone [2]. While there are synthetic and tissue engineered scaffolds which serve as alternatives to autografting, all current Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved skin substitutes experience similar obstacles with vascularization [3]. Necrosis and rejection occur with insufficient vascularization. To combat challenges regarding vascularization, researchers have studied and successfully demonstrated that spinach leaves can be decellularized and then seeded with keratinocyte and fibroblast cells to form a bioengineered skin substitute. George Pins’ lab at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) is working to develop a dermal skin substitute using a leaf-derived vascularized scaffold (LeaVS), as an alternative treatment for full thickness burn wounds that enhances angiogenesis [4]. A reproducible system to culture decellularized leaves through media perfusion enables further development of more complex vascularized scaffolds. This project aims to design a device for Pins’ Lab with a frame to enclose and stabilize a decellularized spinach leaf for controlled perfusion and real-time imaging. Proof of concept was demonstrated through testing of the system for successful mounting, imaging, and perfusion. Results illustrated a waterproof seal of the leaf holder, minimal backflow and successful perfusion, imaged with phase microscopy
A Resistance-Based Colonoscopy Probe for Real-Time Polyp Analysis
No full textColorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most diagnosed cancer in the U.S. When screening for CRC, patients undergo a colonoscopy where doctors visualize and remove polyps in the colon. During colonoscopies, physicians often find clusters of hyperplastic polyps but prioritize removing adenomatous polyps due to cost and time constraints. Leaving behind seemingly benign polyps leads to a gap in detection, by leaving potentially cancerous tissue within the colon. To address the gap in detection of clustered polyps and reduce lab costs, we aimed to develop a probe for real-time identification of cancerous polyps through electrical resistance measurements. We designed a compliant forceps probe with one-handed control to grasp polyps and simultaneous use with a colonoscope. Our probe successfully grasps polyps from 1-10 mm and makes resistance readings with 20% precision
Navigating Seasonality and Distribution Drift: Forecasting User Traffic for DraftKings
No full textThis project aims to forecast the number of unique user logins across DraftKings' various platforms up to 91 days in the future to support improved experimentation design and A/B testing. Models including tree regressors and neural networks were developed using two and a half years of data, incorporating features such as population metrics, sports schedules, and circular encoding of calendar variables. While all models outperformed the baseline during validation, test performance declined due to seasonality, the emergence of an unknown third season, and distribution drift. This paper outlines these challenges and recommends season-specific models and the use of longer lag features as more historical data becomes available
Antimicrobial efficacy of lactoferrin toward Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms
No full textLactoferrin was found to significantly reduce Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilm growth in a concentration dependent manner. S. epidermidis is one of the most common causes of nosocomial infections in the US, mainly due to its ability to form biofilms. Lactoferrin, a protein ubiquitous throughout the human body, is known to have an antimicrobial effect by binding to and depleting iron. However, the effect of lactoferrin on biofilms is not fully understood. Quantitative image analysis of confocal laser scanning microscopy images was utilized to evaluate the effect of lactoferrin on gross biofilm structure, biofilm cell viability, and biofilm cell disruption. Gross biofilm structure was assessed by evaluating biofilm biomass, height, and porosity. Cell viability was assessed through analysis of the prevalence of cells labeled with propidium iodide. Biofilm cell disruption was evaluated using surface area coverage of disrupted cells. Lactoferrin influences S. epidermidis biofilm development in a concentration dependent manner where treatment with higher concentrations of lactoferrin results in more porous biofilms, an increased prevalence of cell death, and higher amount of biofilm cell disruptions. Understanding the effect of lactoferrin on S. epidermidis biofilm development is important for informing the development of antibiofilm therapeutics and reducing nosocomial infections
Flexible Spine Quadruped
No full textHexaFlex is a novel hexapod robot designed with a flexible origami-inspired spine to improve adaptability in complex environments. By combining traditional servo actuated legs with a compliant, cable-driven spine mechanism, HexaFlex achieves en hanced mobility over uneven terrain, tighter turning, and posture modulation. The robot features three rigid segments interconnected by two flexible spine modules, each capable of bending and compression in multiple degrees of freedom. Integrated with a Jetson Nano controller and powered by custom PCBs, HexaFlex supports real-time gait generation and user-driven spine control. In experimental trials, the robot reached a top speed of 0.25 m/s (0.92 BL/s) and demonstrated a minimum turning radius of 0.09 m (0.34 BL). Performance in outdoor and obstacle-rich envi ronments validated the system’s robustness and terrain-conformability. The flexible spine significantly reduced turning radius and improved maneuverability compared to rigid configurations, laying the groundwork for future development of soft-rigid hybrid locomotion platform