ABSTRACTS

2019 National McNair Scholars Conference at UCLA

Researcher: Vicente Arroyos

Presentation Title: Leafout Origami: A Multi-Transformable Structure

Research Focus: Bio-Inspired Origami

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

School: University of Washington

With the increased development of space programs globally, more interplanetary sampling rovers like MINVERA-II-2 are being funded for sample-return missions. However, in order for these autonomous space probes to reliably explore rough and unpredictable surfaces on other celestial bodies, they require more adaptable and energy efficient robotics. Bio-inspired structures following the rigid origami design approach have the potential to be more compact, versatile, and energy efficient than conventional devices. The Leafout origami structure possesses multi transformable features, which means that it is capable of walking, jumping, grasping and actuating other useful motions all within the same device. It also exhibits bistability, so it can be configured in a stable-stored or stable-deployed shape without having an external power supply maintaining its configuration. Due to these unique features, the Leafout structure is capable of storing the potential energy generated from motions like jumping in order to repeatedly actuate this motion with reduced energy inputs into the system. First, we corroborated our kinematic simulation tests with cm-scaled fabrications composed of Bristol, PET, and Nylon. Now, we aim to create mm-scaled prototypes composed of Carbon-fiber- reinforced Polymers and Kapton to emulate our dynamic simulation results. These tests utilized frequency motors attached to the Leafout to demonstrate repeated jumping motions. By implementing high-voltage piezo actuators onto our prototypes, the Leafout structure will be able to initiate controlled frequency-based jumping. Designing more structurally efficient systems in this manner may be the most practical solution to address critical power and versatility limitations in autonomous space probes.

 

Researcher: Kayla Eschenbacher

Presentation Title: Microglia expression in human fetal retina development.

Research Focus: Neurobiological structure

School: University of Washington – Seattle

Presentation Type: Poster presentation

Studies in model organisms have shown that microglia have important roles in neural development, particularly in formation of synaptic circuitry. We are interested in understanding what aspects of development these cells regulate in the human retina. The timing of microglial migration into the central nervous system (CNS) has been described for several species, but it is currently not known when these cells enter the human retina. One previous study found these cells were present in the retina as early as fetal day (FD) 70. To determine when microglia enter the human retina during development and to better characterize their distribution, we analyzed developing human fetal retina for the presence of microglia from FD45 to FD163 using immunofluorescence. We found that Iba1-positive microglia are present as early as FD45, and are primarily concentrated in the ganglion cell layer (GCL). Iba1-positive cells are also present in the vitreous and choroid. Over time, Iba1-positive microglia continue to be primarily located in the GCL, with some cells also distributed across the inner plexiform layer (IPL). We also used CD68, APOE, and Clec7 antibodies to track changes in microglial gene expression across several ages of development compared to expression of these markers in mouse models. Our results show that microglia are present in the human retina earlier than previously described at FD70 and may have roles in development at these stages. Overall, our results highlight the use of the fetal retina in vitro system to investigate the roles of microglia in neural development.

 

Researcher: Liban Hussein

Presentation Title: Using Fringe Electric Field Sensors to Detect Emerging Heat Damage in Composite Materials

Research Focus: Dielectric Spectroscopy/Fringe Electric Field Sensors

School: University of Washington

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Damages to composite materials found in most aircrafts can be due to a variety of reasons, ranging from supersonic dashes to lightning strikes. There have been no methods to date that comprise non-destructive testing to these materials. Thermal stress and heating causes damages that ultimately yield no results. Using spectroscopy with fringe electric field sensor (FEF) technology provides an innovative solution, in which the material being tested at high temperatures is not damaged, while still yielding better thermal damage detection. Similarly, the sensor requires no physical contact for its high-speed scanning. In order to utilize the methods mentioned above for testing composite materials, the design for the sensor is composed of key electronics components including a transimpedance amplifier circuit that can detect small differences in thermal exposure as well as amplify the signals passed through it. In order to provide a measurable experiment, I plan on using the amplifier as well as five different composite materials tested under different heat conditions. By comparing the different susceptibilities with the FEF sensor, we will be able to better determine the minimum temperatures in which damage occurs to the material without damaging the material itself. FEF sensors have the potential to save aircraft companies time and money in purchasing materials that can withstand unavoidable conditions, in addition to creating a new market for the repair of the damaged material.

 

Researcher: Kyle Johnson

Presentation Title: Leafout Origami: A Multitransformable Structure

Research Focus: Robotics

School: University of Washington

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

With the increased development of space programs globally, more interplanetary sampling rovers like MINVERA-II-2 are being funded for sample-return missions. However, in order for these autonomous space probes to reliably explore rough and unpredictable surfaces on other celestial bodies, they require more adaptable and energy efficient robotics. Bio-inspired structures following the rigid origami design approach have the potential to be more compact, versatile, and energy efficient than conventional devices. The Leafout origami structure possesses multitransformable features, which means that it is capable of walking, jumping, grasping and actuating other useful motions all within the same device. It also exhibits bistability, so it can be configured in a stable-stored or stable-deployed shape without having an external power supply maintaining its configuration. Due to these unique features, the Leafout structure is capable of storing the potential energy generated from motions like jumping in order to repeatedly actuate this motion with reduced energy inputs into the system. First, we corroborated our kinematic simulation tests with cm-scaled fabrications composed of Bristol, PET, and Nylon. Now, we aim to create mm-scaled prototypes composed of Carbon-fiber- reinforced Polymers and Kapton to emulate our dynamic simulation results. These tests utilized frequency motors attached to the Leafout to demonstrate repeated jumping motions. By implementing high-voltage piezo actuators onto our prototypes, the Leafout structure will be able to initiate controlled frequency-based jumping. Designing more structurally efficient systems in this manner may be the most practical solution to address critical power and versatility limitations in autonomous space probes.

 

Researchers: Keionna Newton

Title: Nalfurafine is a G-protein mediated kappa opioid biased agonist that lacks the dysphoric effects of unbiased KOR agonists

Research Focus: Pharmacology

School: University of Washington

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

Kappa opioid receptor (KOR) agonists have been developed as safer alternatives to Mu opioid receptor agonists for the treatment of chronic pain and itch due to their antinociceptive and antipruritic properties, as well as their low potential for abuse. However, the dysphoria that conventional Kappa agonists tend to induce in patients has limited their overall use in clinical settings. Previous research has shown that the dysphoric and aversive properties of KOR agonists require activation of the p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase pathway (p38 MAPK) through stimulation of G-protein-coupled receptor kinase 3 (GRK3) arrestin-dependent mechanisms.

Nalfurafine is a G-biased KOR agonist that has antipruritic and antinociceptive effects and lacks the aversive properties of conventional KOR agonists. Nalfurafine was shown to be 100-200 fold more potent for activation of the early, G- mediated phosphor-ERK1/2 pathway as compared to p38 MAPK activation which is necessary for dysphoria and aversion. Because KOR- dependent dysphoria is thought to result from the inhibition of dopamine release, the present study was conducted to assess the relative potency of Nalfurafine to inhibit stimulated dopamine release in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in slices of mice brains using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry. In contrast to the hypothesis that presynaptic inhibition of dopamine release is responsible for aversion, Nalfurafine, a G-biased agonist, was more potent than the unbiased kappa agonist U69,593 at inhibiting dopamine release. Since Nalfurafine does not potently evoke conditioned place aversion, these results support the conclusion that presynaptic inhibition of dopamine does not mediate aversion.

 

Researcher: Salma Silva-Licon

Presentation Title: Violence Against Women at the US/Mexico Region

Research Focus: International Studies / Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies

School: University of Washington

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation

The US/Mexico border is a politically polarized and militarized place where each year millions of people cross, both with and without authorization. As a militarized border that divides two nations, the border region is prone to violence for at least two reasons: the presence of armed state officials on both sides of the border and the presence of drug trafficking. National treaties such as the North American Free Trade Act (NAFTA), soon to be replaced by the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA), impact industries in Mexico. NAFTA removes trade tariffs, creating investment opportunities for the United States in their border countries (Canada and Mexico). These industries employ high numbers of women in their facilities. Notably, there is a history of high rates of murders and disappearances of women in border towns such as Tijuana, Ciudad Juárez, Mexicali, El Paso, etc. Many of these murders, disappearances, and other acts of violence are ignored or denied by local and state officials. My research explores the violence that is enacted through the actions and inactions of state and local officials. This research conducts an analysis of

U.S. government released documents, as well as related research publications, in order to identify officially documented abuses. The findings of this research suggests that there is state involvement, through agencies such as Customs Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in violence against women at the US/Mexico border. Government agencies must be held accountable for their actions and provide more transparent information concerning their violent actions towards women at the US/Mexico border.