Undergraduate Research Day Projects
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://hdl.handle.net/10657/2212
Organized by the University of Houston Office of Undergraduate Research and Major Awards, Undergraduate Research Day is an annual event showcasing exceptional scholarship undertaken by the UH undergraduate community.
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Browsing Undergraduate Research Day Projects by Subject "Biomedical engineering"
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Item Effects of Cytokines on Blood Brain Barrier in Neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus(2023-04-13) Imran, ShanzehThe blood brain barrier (BBB) is a collection of blood capillaries that coordinate a series of metabolic, physical and transport properties that regulate interactions with vascular, immune, and neural cells, enabling healthy movement of molecules between the brain and the blood brain barrier. (1) Cognitive impairments as manifestations of neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) occur in almost 40% of all people with systemic lupus (SLE). (2) There are certain types of cytokines that contribute to the disruption to the blood brain barrier. However, there remains a gap in knowledge where little to no research has been done on these biomolecules in the context of NPSLE, and the mechanism by which this phenomenon happens remains unknown. This research attempted to fill in the gap and work toward identifying clear markers of BBB breach in NPSLE, and identify the serum proteins and autoantibodies present in the blood that are predictive of BBB breach in SLE. The protocol of the experiment involves preparing blood brain barrier Transwell models using media and attachment factors, before adding the bovine endothelial cells and later astrocytes. The culture was then treated with the desired cytokines and transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) was measured across the layer to confirm the integrity and permeability of the monolayer. The results implicate that the mechanism of the molecular basis of a blood brain barrier breach is difficult to determine in research from a co-culture of human astrocytes and bovine endothelial cells.Item Fibrotic Response of Device Implantation on the Sciatic Nerve of Rats(2023-04-13) El-Ali, NusaybaThe use of implantable devices for neuromodulation has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of various neurological disorders. However, one of the main challenges associated with implantable devices is the foreign body response, which can lead to fibrotic tissue growth and potentially impair the long-term viability of the device. Fibrosis may also indicate that the body is accepting the device and integrating it within itself. In this study, we investigated the foreign body response of fibrosis surrounding the electrode implant area in the sciatic nerve of rats 30 days after device implantation.Item The Identification of Urinary Proteins as Markers of Disease Activity in Childhood-onset SLE(2023-04-13) Lea, Gabrielle; Vanarsa, Kamala; Castillo, JessicaThe objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of urine CD36, FCGR2α, FCLR5, ferritin, IL2Rβ, LAIR2, L-Selectin, MCSFR, NCAM-1, and TGFβ for detecting disease activity in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE) patients. Sixty consecutive pediatric patients fulfilling ≥ 4 ACR criteria for SLE and twenty healthy controls were recruited for testing of ten urinary proteins by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Disease activity was assessed using SLEDAI-2000. Urine CD36, FCLR5, ferritin, L-Selectin, M-CSFR, and NCAM-1 had significantly increased concentration levels in active renal patients in comparison to all other cohorts, which shows high potential for the proteins to act as biomarkers for SLE disease activity within a pediatric cohort. L-Selectin, M-CSFR, CD36, FCRL5, NCAM-1, and ferritin presented with excellent AUC values, respectively ranging between 0.96 and 0.89 (P<0.0001). Lupus nephritis patients were ascertained by biopsy activity and chronicity indices. FCLR5, ferritin, L-Selectin, M-CSFR, and NCAM-1 positively correlated with SLEDAI and renal SLEDAI (rSLEDAI) (P<0.0001). MCSFR and NCAM-1 were further investigated to have strong correlations with various pathology metrics outperforming the other protein markers as well as conventional metrics like double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) and complement C3. Urine L-Selectin, M-CSFR, CD36, FCRL5, NCAM-1, and ferritin, showed high ROC AUC values, sensitivities, and specificities indicating a strong ability to accurately distinguish between active renal and inactive SLE patients. Continued focus on these urinary proteins within longitudinal studies would further validate the clinical utility of these biomarkers in tracking kidney disease activity and progression in children with lupus nephritis. ***This project was completed with contributions from M. John Hicks and Scott E. Wenderfer from Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine.Item Your Brain on Art: Neurodynamics of Art Appreciation(2023-04-13) Agbesanwa, Oluwadurotimi; Khalil, Dana; Tovias, Moses; Oladejo, JoshuaNeurohumanities is an emerging field of research that analyzes neurological processes in a societal context, such as aesthetic responses to art. While the need for this type of interdisciplinary research has increased, little has been done to minimize disruptions while incorporating standardized research protocols. In this research, we attempt to create a commercially viable protocol for Neruohumanities research that can improve brain machine interfaces (BMI).