Author:  Donald H. Kuettel III

Active orthotic devices for joint articulation have a vast number of applications that could benefit many people. Examples include joint articulation for people suffering from disabilities, increased load carrying capacity and walking distance for humans, and gait training. The main goal of this research is to help people with disabilities regain natural walking ability by replicating normal walking gait through the use of an active ankle-foot orthosis (AAFO). This research investigates the optimization of a pulley system for the primary actuator of an AAFO utilizing a high-efficiency pneumatic “Walking Engine.”

Author:  Michael Lai

The Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) has been implicated as a driving force behind the metastasis of epithelial derived cancers; it stimulates the acquisition of a migratory, drug resistant mesenchymal phenotype. Current proposals for targeting EMT-facilitated metastasis are ineffective, as a majority focus on the inhibition of EMT-initiating signals. Instead, this study used a novel approach aimed at directly inhibiting the mesenchymal phenotype by targeting mesenchymal survival pathways post mapping at specifically up-regulated points in the mesenchymal state. 

Author:  Erinola Araoye, Karina Ckless

The Nod-Like Receptor Protein-3/Interleukin-1β (NLRP3/IL-1β) inflammatory pathway activation is associated with autoimmune diseases including gout, Muckle-Wells syndrome, familial Mediterranean fever and multiple sclerosis. Type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance have been associated with chronic inflammation; however, the mechanism by which the NLRP3 inflammatory pathway participates in this condition remains unclear.