URSP Student Javier Revilla Conducts Traffic Mapping at GMU

Starting in December 2014 I was honored with the opportunity to intern with the Facilities Department of George Mason University. This was my introduction into the complex world of transportation engineering. One of my first tasks was to perform a traffic count of the campus, covering all entrances and exits. During this task I became immersed in everything transportation, including traffic patterns and analysis. While completing my task I determined that the next logical step would be to create a traffic pattern for the campus. Part of this process is to determine an origin destination estimate. When researching this process I learned that the process of estimation is relatively primitive and boils down to two different options. Neither of which is both accurate and/or simple. This motivated me to develop my own method of estimation.

My long-term goal is to focus my career in mass transit structures. My URSP project plays a fundamental role in my education of transit, how it works and most importantly how to predict its future pattern. This project is my first step in achieving my future goals in transit.

I am currently in the process of developing a traffic pattern for the campus. I have completed the data collection portion. Which is simply taking traffic counts at different locations. The process of creating a traffic pattern is completed using software. This week I spent all my time designating the campus roadways and determining all intersections and parking locations. Once complete this will allow me to develop a traffic pattern that I can then use as my sample. I discovered additional functionality of the software I am using allowing me to get more accurate models.  

URSP Student Suraya Poian Researches if Persistent Inflammation Associated with Emphysema is Due to the Inactivation of the LTA4H Enzyme

I started working on this project summer of 2014 through ASSIP (Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program); when I was filling out the application they had the list of mentors and the description of their project. At that point my mom was going through chemotherapy for breast cancer, therefore, when I read the description of Dr. Paige’s project I was really interested and I chose him as a first mentor. I was chosen and started working on this project since then. This project is personally related to me as well as it is related to my major and future goals. I am a pre-med student at GMU, therefore, anything related to health and human body would interest me, catch my attention, and I would do anything in my ability to learn more about the field.

The hypothesis of this experiment is: Whether the persistent inflammation associated with emphysema due to the inactivation of the LTA4H enzyme? To test this hypothesis, we used L-alanine p-nitroanilide (Ala-pNA) as a substrate to mimic PGP and determine the rate of aminopeptidase activity. Release of the pNA reporter group is mediated by the aminopeptidase activity of the LTA4H enzyme. We independently varied the concentration of the substrate in the presence of a constant concentration of the enzyme, 4MDM, and buffer. On the weekly basis I measure the progress of the reaction, each component, enzyme, substrate and drug, are placed into a Biotek UV-Vis plate reader to measure absorption at [lamda]= 405 nm and determine the rate of p-nitroaniline formation, which corresponds to the aminopeptidase activity of the enzyme. Using the data from the UV-Vis plate reader, we calculate the initial velocity (V_o) of the reaction at multiple concentrations of substrate or drug. During the past couple weeks I am trying to get a data that is reusable and constant and based on the last run it looked very constant. The next step is to use different molecule (4MDM).

URSP Student Zaineb Nawaz Researches if the Use of Photoacoustics detect Bacterial Biofilms

My name is Zaineb Nawaz and I am currently working on research in the Medical Imaging and Photoacousticts lab at the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Studies, GMU. I am majoring in Bioengineering with a concentration in Biomedical Systems and Signals. However, in addition to my concentration in Biomedical Systems and Signals, I am also following a Pre-Health Advisory track, as I intend on pursuing a career in medicine. This interest in two distinct fields led to my participation in my current project; an integration of medicine and Bioengineering.

My current project deals with the use of photoacoustics to detect bacterial biofilms. Bacterial biofilms are microbial communities which reside on the surface of organisms. A thick surface comprised of extra-cellular polymeric substances is created during the formation of bacterial biofilms. This thick surface surrounds and protects the bacterial biofilm inhibiting foreign particles, such as therapeutic drugs, from coming in proximity with the biofilm hindering both the detection and treatment of biofilms. This however, can potentially be countered by photoacoustics. Photoacoustics depends on the “optical properties” of a given tissue rather than its “mechanical and elastic properties” This allows photoacoustics to provide specific details of the molecules present, potentially allowing it to overcome the hindrance created by the biofilms ability to hide its true composition.

Conducting this project I hope to polish and further enhance the Bioengineering skills I have learned in my classes over the course of degree. I want to be able to practically demonstrate the textbook knowledge received in classrooms. I hope that through the conductance of this project I will be more comfortable working in the real world, where I have to apply the skills to solve novel problems.

As this is an original study, and we are not replicating a previous study, what we do in lab every week varies. We will be working on producing biofilms one week, while the next week we will be working on setting up the system required to scan the biofilms. So far we have narrowed down the list of biofilms, and decided the two biofilms to use, set up the scanning system; including writing a PC based program to control the system and producing smaller parts in a 3D drawing/printing software; and produced the biofilms used in this study. There are new learning experiences every week. For example, this week I learned about the different components of a tunable laser as well as how to use the laser to carry out scanning.

URSP Student Alzahraa Mirza Conducts an Analytical Study of the Modern Salafi Brotherhood’s Radical Movements in Saudi Arabia and its Terrorism Implications

Developing curiosity about specific topics and subjects can lead to the start of a journey. Asking a question that have not been answered or to start developing a more detailed question about something that have been already been answered but needs more clarification is a journey that the researcher learns a lot throughout it. My research questions evolve around the political system and radical Salafism in Saudi Arabia. The title of my project is “I was so surprised to know that I got the opportunity to work under the guidance of Dr. Eric Shiraev, a person who is very knowledgeable and professional at the field on comparative politics. He helped me to improve my analysis skills, which helped me a lot to develop an analytical argument to try supporting the ideas I had about the rise of terrorist groups in Saudi Arabia. I began questioning those topics when I was back home, in Saudi Arabia and I wanted to answer those questions academically so I can expose it to other Saudi nationals who might have the same questions by developing an argument and analyzing facts in order to prove a specific thesis that I have developed from those questions. This project so far was the most beneficial opportunity that I had during my college career. It gave me the chance to be exposed to a huge amount of for my research.

I am planning to continue studying about topics of comparative politics and international relations in order to go back and serve for my country, Saudi Arabia. This research gave me a different insight that would help me to understand the way the system is built on in my country, which eventually would help me when I am working there. On weekly bases, I try to spend an hour and a half to two hours to work on my research; I sometimes spend four when I get into very complicated arguments and discussions. I meet with my professor often the times, but I use online communications to update him on my work all the time. I found out this week that of the names that I am looking for in my research is translated from Arabic into a different name in English, which was interesting to discover how they translated it into English and which methods they used to do that.

URSP Student Michael Mezher Examines the Application of Neural Mapping to Virtual Robotics

My interest in this project cannot be accredited to any single reason. My interest in this project stems from an intrinsic motivation to better understand and expand upon what we understand as our self being. The goal of my project is to replicate and simulate the neural firings of a monkey in a corresponding motor function. This presumably, is comparable to studying and replicating the neural activity of the human primary motor cortex. Through this, endless applications are made possible. Integrating technology with the inner mechanisms of our motor function may result in the solutions for many neuromuscular diseases, and may even serve to one day enhance our physical capabilities.

I envision my project carrying through with me in my career as I expand my knowledge of the brain and neuronal synaptic activity. I wish for my research in determining a correlation between specific neuronal activity and motor function to help expand the field of computational neuroscience and to make previously impossible applications possible.  Once my work is complete, I hope advances in medical imaging techniques will have come about so that my work may be applied in a non-invasive manner.

During my work in the motor control lab, I have encountered many foreseen and unforeseen issues and problems in the development of my neural model. Many of the problems have been resolved through the development of programs to minimize many menial tasks. Still others, require the consultation of parties more knowledgeable of certain subjects than myself. My mentor Dr. Laurence Bray, is one of such parties whom I often go to seeking assistance in understanding the neurology aspect of my project. The work required by my project is extremely varied and requires a wide variety of skills to progress forward.

The most important thing I have learned during this project this week is something more to do with project management than neurology. I’ve come to learn that when requesting assistance or software from other people, it’s often necessary to be a bit pushy. Although one may feel that they are being rude or inconsiderate by doing so, when working on a project with many contributing parts, without reliable input from all of the parts, the project is often halted all together.