Browsing by Author "Mirza, Qurat-ul-Ann"

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    CAN WE MAKE AN AXON FROM SEMICONDUCTOR MEMRISTORS?
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2013-04-05) Mirza, Qurat-ul-Ann; Joglekar, Yogesh
    Memristor, a short for memory resistor, is the fourth fundamental circuit element whose instantaneous resistance depends not only on the voltage, but also on the history of the voltage applied to it. This recently discovered titanium dioxide thin film device has characteristics that are analogous to voltage-gated ion channels in biological membranes. In 1952, Alan Hodgkin and Andrew Huxley (HH) introduced an electrical circuit model that described the behavior of a neuron membrane. The electrical circuit consists of a capacitor which is due to phospholipid bilayer, three resistors that represent each ionic channel, and batteries that drive the ionic currents. The purpose of our research was to investigate the characteristics that are shared by both the biological membranes and the memristors. We introduce a minimal Hodgkin-Huxley model for DC applied stimulus in which the leakage channel, membrane capacitance, and potassium equilibrium voltage are absent. We conclude that spiking requires sodium and potassium channels in Hodgkin-Huxley model and, therefore, we predict that two or more distinct memristor species are necessary to mimic the electrical response of a neuron.
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    HODGKIN-HUXLEY MODEL FOR ACTION POTENTIAL: MEMRISTIVE CHARACTERISTICS
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2012-04-13) Mirza, Qurat-ul-Ann; Joglekar, Yogesh
    Memristor, a short for memory resistor, is the fourth ideal circuit element whose value varies as a function of charge that has passed through the de-vice. Voltage-gated ion channels in biological membranes share this charac-teristic of a memristor. In 1952, Hodgkin and Huxley (H-H) developed an electrical circuit model (HH model) to describe the time-dependent action potentials mediated by voltage-gated ion channels. We investigate the de-pendence of the action potential, including the onset of repeated spiking, on the applied current I, sodium and potassium channel conductance, and the membrane capacitance. We use a MATLAB code with the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method to solve the HH equations. Our results suggest that the memristive characteristics of the ion channels can be tuned over a wide range of parameters.
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    Investing in the Future Nanos: IUPUI Nanotechnology Discovery Academy
    (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2016-04-08) Mirza, Qurat-ul-Ann; Bondi, Joseph; Sorge, Brandon; Agarwal, Mangilal
    Nanotechnology is a rapidly advancing field that is being applied to many aspects of everyday life. Consequently, it has become crucial to increase the general population’s understanding of nanotechnology and its application. To accomplish this, STEMCorp at IUPUI has been assisting INDA with week long summer camps that work to increase high school student’s awareness and understanding of nanotechnology. The camp consists of a morning seminars, afternoon lab activities, lab tour, and end-of-camp poster presentation. Lab tours focus on showing participants the practical applications of nanotechnology and exposes them to nanotechnology research occurring in Indianapolis. Afternoon lab activities immerse the students in a hands-on application of nanotechnology, providing a deeper understanding of the concepts introduced in the morning seminars. To assess the effectiveness of the INDA Nanotechnology summer camp, students were given pre- and post-assessment surveys to measure their interest in, and understanding of nanotechnology and STEM fields. Additionally, groups of students were selected for interviews and focus groups to provide a more in-depth understanding of their experience. From these data, it was found that the summer camp was effective at increasing student’s interest in and understanding of nanotechnology. Additionally, the student interviews/focus groups identified crucial components to this success.
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    Nanotechnology STEM Program via Research Experience for High School Teachers
    (IEEE, 2015-10) Agarwal, Mangilal; Mirza, Qurat-ul-Ann; Bondi, Joseph; Sorge, Brandon; Rizkalla, Maher; Ward, Richard; Feldhaus, Corbin; Hinshaw, Amy; Varahramyan, Kody; Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering and Technology
    In this work, we report the outcomes from the IUPUI STEM outreach program “STEMCorp” that inspires high school students to pursue STEM majors. The STEMCorp program was modeled after the Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Research Initiative (MURI) at IUPUI. MURI research program introduces undergraduate students from at least two different departments with mentors from different disciplines to address research issues that may compose both engineering and sciences. The STEMCorp program brings undergraduate students to work with faculty and high school teachers to create a positive impact in enriching the high school students by introducing them to engineering and science with emphasis on nanotechnology for future careers. The program describes the collaborative activities between faculty, undergraduate students and high school STEM teachers in the creation of project-based, student-centered learning modules in the field of nanotechnology. The paper details the activities of the STEMCorp participants including their experiences in developing working partnerships and creating and implementing learning modules in the designated high school courses. The success of the program is assessed by the measurable outcomes of high school students' research projects. Specifically, two different learning modules are presented, including the processes used in the development of these modules and their outcomes. The collaborative research discussions between the faculty, undergraduate students, and high school teachers are detailed, covering research methodologies, hypothesis, and expected outcomes.