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Review: C-type Natriuretic Peptide And Amphiregulin On Bovine Oocyte Maturation And Pitfalls In The IVF Laboratory.
No full textThe production of embryos has been described as a revolutionary process with the ability to make cattle systems more successful. However, despite constant research done in the field of embryology, there remains a discrepancy between the quality of in vitro produced (IVP) and in vivo derived (IVD) embryos. This difference is potentially associated with the lack of synchronization between nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation events within the oocyte, which is carefully mediated in the ovarian environment and the cumulus oocyte complex (COC). The purpose of this thesis was to utilize a pre-maturation culture system to keep oocytes in an arrested germinal vesicle (GV) state before subjecting them to maturation. In the first half of the experiment, oocytes were pre-matured in C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) supplemented medium for 12 hours. Following pre-maturation, oocytes were transferred to amphiregulin (AREG) for another 12 hours to develop. This procedure is known as CAPA-AREG. After fertilization and a 7- day culture, embryos were assessed for cleavage rate and blastocyst rate. Embryos were also subjected to staining in order to evaluate lipid content and mitochondrial activity via confocal microscopy and ImageJ software. Hurdles in acquiring data also encouraged an assessment on the IVF laboratory and how procedures can be optimized. Overall, embryology lab procedures must be strictly followed, and the laboratory environment must be maintained to the best of the staff’s ability to increase success rates. Due to mishaps in the laboratory, the effectiveness of CNP and AREG on improving bovine oocyte maturation and embryo development is still inconclusive. Further research is required to determine if CNP and AREG can be utilized in future bovine IVF procedures
Making (Virtual) Space for Disability Equity in Academia
Get PDFVirtual or hybrid options provide a way for marginalized faculty and staff to fully participate in their fields and on their campuses. As such, an equitable and pandemic-informed academic workplace should include fully accessible and well-resourced hybrid participation options for department meetings and events, office work, and classroom duties. In spring 2023, we created a work group on our campus to address the challenges of hybrid work and co-create campus-wide recommendations for hybrid workspaces. In this article, we share our findings and evidence-based recommendations, many of which draw on Universal Design for Learning, as well as offer suggestions on how readers can pursue similar work on their campuses
Testing of Recycled Polypropylene as a Viable Structural Material
Get PDFOver the course of 10 weeks, experiments were performed on extruded Polypropylene (PP) to determine the feasibility of its use in construction. Motivated by environmental concerns, the project aimed to explore sustainable alternatives to conventional building materials. Polypropylene, classified as a type 5 plastic according to the Resin Identification Code (RIC), possesses favorable properties such as durability, chemical resistance, and recyclability, making it a promising candidate for construction applications. Type 5 plastics are commonly used in various industries, including packaging, automotive, textiles, and consumer goods. In construction, PP is primarily utilized in applications such as piping systems, insulation, roofing materials, and interior fittings.
Marina Seeger’s master’s thesis, Upcycling Holistic Study of a Sustainable Plastic Brick served as a foundational reference. The thesis aimed to assess polypropylene’s performance relative to traditional building materials, much like the objective in this study. Along with being easily accessible, PP shares structural similarities with Concrete Masonry Unit (CMU) bricks, making it an ideal candidate for comparison in terms of resiliency, load-bearing capacity, and construction versatility. To characterize Polypropylenes structural properties, Tensile, Flammability, and Water Absorption tests were conducted. The results indicate potential for PP in construction; however, further research is required to fully characterize its structural properties. This study lays the groundwork for future investigations into the use of PP in construction applications
Automated Orthopedic Impactor
Get PDFWe were tasked by Dr. Dimitri Delagrammaticas, an orthopedic surgeon, to develop an automatic impaction device to use in hip arthroplasties. The goal of this project is to create and design the mechanical internals for an electric impactor device to aid in the impaction of orthopedic devices and reduce the risk of surgeon injuries. The stakeholders include our sponsor Dimitri Delagrammaticas and other orthopedic surgeons, patients in need of hip arthroplasty, hospitals, and Dr. Berg-Johansen. Dr. Berg-Johansen will be reviewing the design process and documentation for the duration of the senior design project. The Automated Orthopedic Impactor will solely focus on hip replacement surgery due to this surgery’s specific need of consistent impact force when using the broach and mallet.
This document will include information about what devices currently exist on the market, patent results, customer observations, and technical literature in the Background section. The Objectives will explore the IFU, Engineering Specification Table, customer requirements, QFD, and House of Quality. Project Management will further explain the overall design process and key deliverables, as well as estimated testing techniques.
The report will further include Morphology, Concept Evaluation, Conceptual Model, and FMEA to discuss potential designs and explain the process. The front runner concept was then further developed and will be discussed in the Detailed Design, as well as Prototype Manufacturing Plans. The Manufacturing Process Instructions will include specific steps and photos to describe how the functional prototype was created. A summary of Test Plans will be included to explain each engineering specification and describe the steps, test type, sample size, materials, and certifications. This section will also include a detailed protocol for experimental set up, experimental groups, data acquisition, data analysis for each test, expected results, and the team member leading each test. The results from the testing protocols will be summarized in the testing data and analysis section. Instructions for use will be included to communicate how to safely and efficiently use the automated impactor device. Lastly, the report will be concluded with a discussion of the testing results and review the overall success of the project and device.
The design process began by identifying the problem, customer, and the market. Once a current device on the market was found, the engineering specifications were determined to match similar performance to this predicate device. Customer requirements were determined by our sponsor, Dr. Delagrammaticas and his vision for how the device should perform. Prototyping the device then began and design changes were made to address functionality issues. The final design was then manufactured and tested using a series of protocols to determine if engineering specifications were met.
Key customer requirements included reliability and consistency. These requirements were translated into specifications such as the average and standard deviations of force and location, and were repeatedly tested to measure accurate values. The tests found that the impactor mechanism worked with an average force output of 14.2 Newtons with a standard deviation of 3.7 Newtons, and an average deviation in impact location was 8.3 millimeters. While all of these values were higher than expected, the final prototype demonstrated that the design was functional and could be improved on
Computer Vision in a Robotic Arm
Get PDFWe used a machine learning-based object detection algorithm to give a robotic arm the ability to see with its camera
Attitude Control of a Flexible Flapping Wing UAV Based on Fuzzy Logic
Get PDFThis project revolves around creating an a attitude controller for a hovering flexible flapping wing UAV that is based on a flying hummingbird. We based our model from a paper by Banazadeh and Taymourtash1 , First replicating the open-loop results using the nonlinear dynamic model and the equations of motion (seen below) while considering aerodynamic loads. Once replicated, we then used fuzzy logic to model the dynamic model. Subsequently, we designed a fuzzy controller to stabilize the hovering mode. We then considered and detailed future work needed to make further progress in this area
Surrogate Models for Stress-Strain Mapping of Microscale Physics
Get PDF•Learn the difference between different neural networks within machine learning (ML) •Develop a working understanding of the ML tool Pytorch and machine learning operator: Recurrent Neural Operator •Use MATLAB to create and process time dependent stress/strain matrices to display the hyper-parameters for different RNOs •Apply RNO to train the strain-stress mapping of tri-laminate and granular case
Quantifying Ethics and Trust in Human-AI Collaboration
Get PDFAs AI Chatbots continue to evolve in both prevalence and capability, their role in education is becoming increasingly prominent. With chatbots like ChatGPT becoming commonplace in higher education, there is an evident need to understand the ethics and trust dynamics of human-AI collaboration. This research contributes to the ongoing discussion on AI in education, highlighting the importance of trust when utilizing AI in academic settings. By conducting an empirical analysis, this research seeks to quantify trust in human-AI collaboration in higher education with the aim of offering actionable items for higher education institutions to follow to promote ethical and responsible use of AI Chatbots
Restoration of the Cantilever Deck in Poly Canyon
Get PDFThis interdisciplinary project aims to restore the Cantilever Deck in the Experimental Structures Laboratory back to an operational condition. As of Spring 2023, the deck has fallen into a state of disrepair and has been deemed structurally unsound by the university. The structural disrepair is concentrated around the wooden beams underneath the deck, but the handrails and overall color of the assembly have also fallen to levels deemed undesirable. The Restoration will remedy all these issues as well as guarantee that our repairs will last long into the future. This project is an interdisciplinary effort, the team consists of ARCE and CM students. This project includes the design, permitting, preconstruction and construction tasks. The ARCE team handled the structural calculations, the creation of drawings, and the product selection while the Construction Management side oversaw scheduling, budget, and material and equipment procurement. Restoration work is planned to be complete by Summer 2024