Aquariscope has developed an underwater viewer for the National Aquarium’s new “Inner Harbor Wetlands Exhibit.” Intended to help aquarium guests explore the rich ecosystem existing within the wetlands exhibit, the viewer allows guests to look 360 degrees within a shallow channel containing oysters, fish, grasses, and more. Images from an underwater camera system are displayed on an above-water display. A joystick allows guests to directly control both the rotation and zoom of a camera system, allowing them to focus on elements that are interesting to them.

Autologous fat grafting (AFG) is a minimally invasive plastic surgery technique performed over one million times yearly where a patient’s own fat tissue is used to repair or enhance different areas of their body. AFG involves fat extraction via liposuction, purification, and syringe-mediated rejection. Despite autologous fat’s 100% biocompatibility, the patient’s volume retention at the grafted site is highly variable, hinging on the health and regenerative ability of the transplanted fat cells, and the effective removal of contaminants such as oil, blood, and excess fluids. These factors are often compromised during manual lipoaspirate processing, leading to poor patient satisfaction and the need for subsequent corrective procedures. Thus, plastic surgeons need an autologous fat harvesting method that selectively gathers lipoaspirate while preserving its regenerative properties in order to maintain adipocyte viability. We propose a novel AFG system that is automated, reusable, and easy-to-use, designed to consistently produce high-quality fat for grafting.

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) impacts about 6.5 million people in the US, yet remains incurable. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of AD propagation prior to symptomatic presentation is necessary to develop pathway-specific treatments. Blood-brain-barrier (BBB) dysfunction is identified as a precursor to AD, since this often occurs prior to the presentation of clinical symptoms in AD patients. This project hypothesizes that BBB dysfunction due to intrinsic cues contributes to disease progression. The specific focus is on AD-associated PSEN1 M146V and APPswe familial mutations. Confocal microscopy and integrated density quantification revealed up- and down-regulation of junctional, transport, and Alzheimer’s biomarkers, showing barrier dysfunction. Cell turnover and transport testing showed increased cell death and amyloid transport in AD models, respectively. These findings guide further research towards a cure by increasing understanding of the mechanisms behind the propagation of AD prior to its clinical presentation, at which point it is too late to treat.

This project centers on enhancing the current MRI Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) graphical user interface (GUI) to improve the efficiency and intuitiveness of MRI data analysis. The current system faces challenges with data loading, B0 correction, and Z-spectra analysis. Our proposed improvements include implementing a better data-loading structure, integrating multi-Lorentzian fits for Z-spectra, and advancing Region of Interest (ROI) selection using active contour models. Additionally, improvements to user interface elements will ensure a more intuitive experience for users. These enhancements aim to provide more accurate and detailed imaging analyses, crucial for effective diagnosis and research in medical imaging.