Engineering Commons^™

Adaptation Algorithm For Self-Tuning Of Parameters Of Models Of Multi-Stage Flotation Processes, Nilufar Sharifzhanova, Maksadhan Yakubov, Francesco Gregoretti

Technical science and innovation

Modern methods for solving problems of planning the execution of batches of tasks in multi-stage systems are characterized by the presence of restrictions on their dimensionality, the impossibility of guaranteed obtaining better results in comparison with fixed packages for different values of the input parameters of the problem. In the article, the author solved the problem of optimizing the composition of job packages running in multi-stage systems using the branch and bound method. Research has been carried out on various ways to form package execution orders tasks in multi-stage systems (heuristic rules for ordering packages tasks in the sequence of …

Expression Optimization Of The Gst-Gfp Fusion Protein Through The Alteration Of Induction Conditions, Matthew J. Vaccaro

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This research sought to determine which induction condition resulted in the greatest GST-GFP fusion protein expression. It will hopefully serve as a guide for future researchers trying to produce their own recombinant protein containing GST and GFP-tags. The CDNB Enzyme Assay was used to determine the quantity of GST-GFP fusion protein present and tested three variables: IPTG concentration, duration, and temperature of induction. The findings showed that IPTG concentration, temperature, and induction duration all had a significant impact on protein expression. Induction temperatures of 20 °C and 25 °C showed better protein expression at IPTG concentrations of 1.0 mM IPTG …

Development Of A Reverse Engineered, Parameterized, And Structurally Validated Computational Model To Identify Design Parameters That Influence American Football Faceguard Performance, William Ferriell

All Dissertations

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) continues to have the greatest incidence among athletes participating in American football. The headgear design research community has focused on developing accurate computational and experimental analysis techniques to better assess the ability of headgear technology to attenuate impacts and protect athletes from TBI. Despite efforts to innovate the headgear system, minimal progress has been made to innovate the faceguard. Although the faceguard is not the primary component of the headgear system that contributes to impact attenuation, faceguard performance metrics, such as weight, structural stiffness, and visual field occlusions, have been linked to athlete safety. To improve …

Extraction Of Melanin From Black Knot Fungus: Optimization And Applications, Amara Davis

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal of this research project was to optimize the extraction of melanin from black knot fungus and to analyze possible applications of the extracted melanin. An extraction method that was previously created was examined for possible improvements. Improvements that were studied include the elimination of steps in the extraction process while obtaining the same quality of product, examining options for machinery that could be used to increase production rate when moved to a production plant setting, and optimize the concentrations of the raw materials that are used in the extraction for possible reduction of cost without compromising yield or …

Frequency Dependent Diffusion Kurtosis Measurement In The Human Brain With Oscillating Gradients, Kevin B. Borsos

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Oscillating gradient spin-echo (OGSE) is an implementation of diffusion MRI that enables shorter effective diffusion times than the conventional pulse gradient spin-echo (PGSE) by periodically modulating the diffusion gradient. Measurements of the diffusion kurtosis, which reflects the degree of restricted diffusion, have previously been prohibited with OGSE due to technical limitations of clinical gradient systems. This thesis presents a novel oscillating gradient waveform that enables the measurement of kurtosis using OGSE without requiring advanced gradient hardware. Decreases of kurtosis are observed in OGSE acquisitions of healthy human subjects relative to PGSE, demonstrating the dependence of the kurtosis on oscillation frequency. …

Design Of A Pneumatic Soft Robotic Actuator Using Model-Based Optimization, Mahsa Raeisinezhad

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, the design and optimization process of a novel soft intelligent modular pad (IntelliPad) for the purpose of pressure injury prevention is presented. The structure of the IntelliPad consists of multiple individual multi-chamber soft pneumatic-driven actuators that use pressurized air and vacuum. Each actuator is able to provide both vertical and horizontal motions that can be controlled independently. An analytical modeling approach using multiple cantilever beams and virtual springs connected in a closed formed structure was developed to analyze the mechanical performance of the actuator. The analytical approach was validated by a finite element analysis. For optimizing the …

Optimization Of Indentation For The Material Characterization Of Soft Pva-Cryogels, Md. Mansur Ul Mulk

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Over the past few years a variety of clinical procedures aiming at tissue repair and other relevant therapies have been under active investigation [12,32]. Success of procedures aimed at soft tissue repair depend on the combined response of biochemical and biomechanical properties of the organs neighbouring the tissue [53]. Using human or animal cadaveric tissue for this purpose is very challenging due to issues pertaining to biodegradability and infection or biohazard risk factors [135,205].As such, tissue mimicking materials (e.g. Polyvinyl Alcohol Cryo-gel (PVA-C)) have been investigated to satisfy the need for the said clinical applications. Advantages of using tissue-mimicking materials …

Sustainable, Alginate-Based Sensor For Detection Of Escherichia Coli In Human Breast Milk, Nicholas Kikuchi, Margaret May, Matthew Zweber, Jerard Madamba, Craig M. Stephens, Unyoung Kim, Maryam Mobed-Miremadi

Bioengineering

There are no existing affordable diagnostics for sensitive, rapid, and on-site detection of pathogens in milk. To this end, an on-site colorimetric-based sustainable assay has been developed and optimized using an L₁₆ (5⁴) Taguchi design to obtain results in hours without PCR amplification. To determine the level of Escherichia coli (E. coli) contamination, after induction with 150 µL of breast milk, the B-Per bacterial protein extraction kit was added to a solution containing an alginate-based microcapsule assay. Within this 3 mm spherical novel sensor design, X-Gal (5-Bromo-4-Chloro-3-Indolyl β-_D-Galactopyranoside) was entrapped at a concentration of 2 …

A Series-Elastic Robot For Back-Pain Rehabilitation, Elhussein Shata

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Robotics research has been broadly expanding into various fields during the past decades. It is widely spread and best known for solving many technical necessities in different fields. With the rise of the industrial revolution, it upgraded many factories to use industrial robots to prevent the human operator from dangerous and hazardous tasks. The rapid development of application fields and their complexity have inspired researchers in the robotics community to find innovative solutions to meet the new desired requirements of the field. Currently, the creation of new needs outside the traditional industrial robots are demanding robots to attend to the …

Single-Cell Impedance Spectroscopy, David Paul Lange

Master's Theses

Impedance spectroscopy (IS) is an important tool for cell detection and characterization in medical and food safety applications. In this thesis, the Cal Poly Biofluidics Lab’s impedance spectroscopy system was re-evaluated and optimized for single-cell impedance spectroscopy. To evaluate the IS system, an impedance spectroscopy bioMEMS chip was fabricated in the Cal Poly Microfabcrication lab, software was developed to run IS experiments, and studies were run to validate the system. To explore IS optimization, Maxwell’s mixture theorem and the Schwartz-Christoffel transform were used to calculate an analytic impedance solution to the co-planar electrode system,a novel volume fraction to account for …

Interventions Of Waterjet Technology In Skin Incisions, Nadi Atalla

Dissertations

This research explores the use of waterjet (WJ) technology in performing skin incisions. The study defines the analytical relationships between the skin properties and the operating parameters of the WJ which include the skin thickness, its elastic modulus, the WJ pressure, the nozzle’s orifice diameter, its stand-off distance and the traverse speed of the WJ as well as the duration of applying the WJ pressure. An analytical model is developed to measure the depth incision of the skin, the water pressure and the water velocity, while using a WJ. Systemization and optimization models that determine the optimal operating parameters levels …

Optimization Of Underbody Blast Energy-Attenuating Seat Mechanisms Using Modified Madymo Hybrid Iii And Human Body Models, Kelly Erin Bryan Bosch

Wayne State University Dissertations

Energy attenuating (EA) blast seats, although not new to the market, have not been fully characterized with respect to energy attenuation capability and the resulting effects on occupant protection. EA seats utilize stroking mechanisms to absorb energy and reduce the vertical forces imparted on the occupant’s pelvis and lower spine complex. Although a variety of EA seats are available on the market, the fundamental question behind how to optimize the force and deflection rates of the EA mechanisms to effectively reduce occupant injury has not yet been answered. Using modeling and simulation techniques, this research developed a tool to determine …

Numerical Simulation And Optimization Of Blalock-Taussig Shunt, Thomas Hess, Ramesh K. Agarwal

McKelvey School of Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The goal of this study is to create an optimized Blalock-Taussig shunt used to temporarily repair pulmonary vascular blockages allowing a child time to grow so a more permanent surgical repair of the heart and vasculature can be performed. Blalock-Taussig or BT shunts are a surgical procedure performed on infants suffering from cyanosis or “Blue Baby Syndrome.” A BT shunt is an artificial vessel placed between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery to increase blood flow in the lung and blood oxygen saturation levels. In a study of 96 patients with currently in use modified BT shunts, 32 patients …

An Efficient Process For Co-Production Of Γ-Aminobutyric Acid And Probiotic Bacillus Subtilis Cells, Hongbo Wang, Jinge Huang, Lei Sun, Fuchao Xu, Wei Zhang, Jixun Zhan

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

This study was to establish an integrated process for the co-production of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and live probiotics. Six probiotic bacteria were screened and Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6051 showed the highest GABA-producing capacity. The optimal temperature and initial pH value for GABA production in B. subtilis were found to be 30 °C and 8.0, respectively. A variety of carbon and nitrogen sources were tested, and potato starch and peptone were the preferred carbon and nitrogen sources for GABA production, respectively. The concentrations of carbon source, nitrogen source and substrate (sodium L-glutamate) were then optimized using the response surface methodology. The …

Optimization Of Prosthetic Hands: Utilizing Modularity To Improve Grip Force, Grasp, And Versatility, Jordan William Harris

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

It has been demonstrated that although many varieties of upper limb prosthetics exist, commercially available prosthetics are outdated and unsatisfactory. Ineffectiveness and limitations have led to some prosthesis wearers having to own multiple devices, whereas others have given up on them entirely. Even though ample research has been conducted to design and test new hand designs, the industry appears to rest in an overall stagnated state.

It was proposed here, that one problem with prosthetic research is an excess of variables involved in testing, and therefore the improper application of the scientific method. It seems that each time a research …

Impact Of A Localized Lean Six Sigma Implementation On Overall Patient Safety And Process Efficiency, Luvianca Gil, Pilar Pazos, Mamadou Seck, Rolando Delaguila

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

Continuous quality improvement tools have caught the attention of the Health Care Industry as a solution to process efficiency, patient safety and cost reduction. This research explores the impact of a Lean Six Sigma (LSS) process improvement initiative in overall process efficiency and patient safety in two Labor and Delivery (L+D) units of two large hospital providers. This study focuses on the application of modeling and simulation methodology to investigate the influence of a localized process improvement intervention on the overall L+D unit output, by considering patient flow, system capacity and unit performance. The simulation models capacity profiles and patient …

Automated Microscopy Platform For High-Throughput Analysis Of Cellular Characteristics, Hussam Ibrahim

Physics: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Existing microscopy platforms allow analysis post-hoc, but not in real time. This is an issue in the world of Bioengineering because you are limited to performing further analysis on specimen. The aim of my research was to design a sophisticated system whereby information can be exchanged between the software which acquires images and software that analyzes the images immediately after acquisition. In this system, images would be acquired by the microscope and analyzed by customized scripts (MATLAB, Mathworks) in real time. Specifically, MATLAB would wait for new images to be saved on the hard drive, import these images, and perform …

Optimization Of Wireless Power Networks For Biomedical Applications, Kyle A. Thackston

Open Access Theses

Successful physiological integration of electronics will open the doors to new methods of treatment and diagnoses. One of the key challenges of this integration is designing devices as small as possible while still maintaining high functionality, such as bio-signal recording, processing, telemetry, and stimulation. Wireless power transfer (WPT) can help shrink a device’s footprint by removing the need for bulky batteries. While many modalities of WPT exist for biomedical applications, the optimal power transfer efficiency (PTE) is seldom achieved due to improper impedance matching. Existing methods for determining the optimal impedance matching conditions tend to be application specific and make …

Generating Optimal Control Simulations Of Musculoskeletal Movement Using Opensim And Matlab, Leng-Feng Lee, Brian R. Umberger

Kinesiology Department Faculty Publication Series

Computer modeling, simulation and optimization are powerful tools that have seen increased use in biomechanics research. Dynamic optimizations can be categorized as either data-tracking or predictive problems. The data-tracking approach has been used extensively to address human movement problems of clinical relevance. The predictive approach also holds great promise, but has seen limited use in clinical applications. Enhanced software tools would facilitate the application of predictive musculoskeletal simulations to clinically-relevant research. The open-source software OpenSim provides tools for generating tracking simulations but not predictive simulations. However, OpenSim includes an extensive application programming interface that permits extending its capabilities with scripting …

Knee Internal Forces In Moderate Squat Exercise, Dumitru I. Caruntu, Jose Mario Salinas

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper deals with internal forces of human knee during moderate squat exercise. The moderate squat exercise consists of a descending phase from standing to the lowest position (largest flexion angle) in which no significant contact between thigh and calf occurs, and an ascending phase back to standing position. This research predicts the internal forces such as muscle forces, contact forces, and ligamentous forces. The ligamentous structures in this research consist of Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL), Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL), Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL), and Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL). The ligaments are modeled as nonlinear elastic strips (they do not …

Probe-Pulse Optimization For Nonresonant Suppression In Hybrid Fs/Ps Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering At High Temperature, Joseph D. Miller, Mikhail N. Slipchenko, Terrence R. Meyer

Terrence R Meyer

Hybrid femtosecond/picosecond coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (fs/ps CARS) offers accurate thermometry at kHz rates for combustion diagnostics. In high-temperature flames, selection of probe-pulse characteristics is key to simultaneously optimizing signal-to-nonresonant-background ratio, signal strength, and spectral resolution. We demonstrate a simple method for enhancing signal-to-nonresonant-background ratio by using a narrowband Lorentzian filter to generate a time-asymmetric probe pulse with full-width-half-maximum (FWHM) pulse width of only 240 fs. This allows detection within just 310 fs after the Raman excitation for eliminating nonresonant background while retaining 45% of the resonant signal at 2000 K. The narrow linewidth is comparable to that of a …

Design And Control Of Chromatography Step In An Integrated Column Sequence, Bernt Nilsson, Niklas Andersson, Anders Holmqvist, Anton Sellberg, Peter Tiainen, Arne Staby

Integrated Continuous Biomanufacturing II

Integration of the purification steps in downstream processing is one way to minimize the number of storage tanks and reduce hold-up time. The result is an integrated column sequence that performs straight through processing of the target protein, with minimal time from expression to formulation. This paper discusses the overall integration design and its expected performance, together with a more detailed analysis of the step behavior based on column simulations. The optimal design of the individual steps in the sequence is presented, both with robustness margins and local control system, as well as with and without local recycle.

An optimization …

Evaluating Facility Design And Capacity Planning Decisions For Clinical And Commercial Supply With Hybrid Continuous Processes, Suzanne Farid

Integrated Continuous Biomanufacturing II

Assessing the value potential of alternative process and facility design strategies will be critical to the successful management of continuous processes. UCL’s Decisional Tools team have developed advanced decision-support tools that effectively integrate concepts from bioprocess economics, dynamic simulation, risk analysis, combinatorial optimization and operations research to address such challenges (e.g. 1-5). This presentation will show our latest practical applications of such models to industrially-relevant problems related to facility design and capacity sourcing for long-term commercial supply when dealing with processes with either continuous upstream or downstream processes. The results can be translated across a range of products such as …

Bioprocess Economics And Optimization Of Continuous And Pre-Packed Disposable Chromatography, Richard Allmendinger, Suzanne Farid

Integrated Continuous Biomanufacturing II

The biotech sector is facing increasing pressures to design more cost-efficient, robust and flexible manufacturing processes. Standard batch chromatography (BATCH) is an established but expensive approach to separate impurities related with both E.coli and mammalian cells expression systems. This study uses a computational framework to investigate if the application of continuous chromatography (CONTI) and disposable technologies can provide a competitive alternative to BATCH and reusable equipment. A set of general assumptions is presented on how some of the key downstream processing characteristics, such as chromatography operating conditions, resin properties and equipment requirements, vary as a function of the chromatography mode …

On The Application Of Mechanical Vibration In Robotics-Assisted Soft Tissue Intervention, Iman Khalaji

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Mechanical vibration as a way of transmitting energy has been an interesting subject to study. While cyclic oscillation is usually associated with fatigue effect, and hence a detrimental factor in failure of structures and machineries, by controlled transmission of vibration, energy can be transferred from the source to the target. In this thesis, the application of such mechanical vibration in a few surgical procedures is demonstrated.

Three challenges associated with lung cancer diagnosis and treatment are chosen for this purpose, namely, Motion Compensation, tumor targeting in lung Needle Insertion and Soft Tissue Dissection:

1. A robotic solution is proposed …

Modeling And Development Of Iterative Reconstruction Algorithms In Emerging X-Ray Imaging Technologies, Jiaofeng Xu

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Many new promising X-ray-based biomedical imaging technologies have emerged over the last two decades. Five different novel X-ray based imaging technologies are discussed in this dissertation: differential phase-contrast tomography (DPCT), grating-based phase-contrast tomography (GB-PCT), spectral-CT (K-edge imaging), cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), and in-line X-ray phase contrast (XPC) tomosynthesis. For each imaging modality, one or more specific problems prevent them being effectively or efficiently employed in clinical applications have been discussed. Firstly, to mitigate the long data-acquisition times and large radiation doses associated with use of analytic reconstruction methods in DPCT, we analyze the numerical and statistical properties of two classes …

Quantized Nonnegative Matrix Factorization, Ruairí De Fréin

Conference papers

Even though Nonnegative Matrix Factorization (NMF) in its original form performs rank reduction and signal compaction implicitly, it does not explicitly consider storage or transmission constraints. We propose a Frobenius-norm Quantized Nonnegative Matrix Factorization algorithm that is 1) almost as precise as traditional NMF for decomposition ranks of interest (with in 1-4dB), 2) admits to practical encoding techniques by learning a factorization which is simpler than NMF’s (by a factor of 20-70) and 3) exhibits a complexity which is comparable with state-of-the-art NMF methods. These properties are achieved by considering the quantization residual via an outer quantization optimization step, in …

Production Of Lignin-Based Phenolic Resins Using De-Polymerized Kraft Lignin And Process Optimization, Homaira Siddiqui

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Commercialization of Lignin-based phenol formaldehyde resins (LPF) has been limited due to the increase in curing temperatures and decrease in adhesive strength of LPF compared to conventional phenolic resins. Lignin depolymerization can increase the reactivity of lignin; however, the effect of lignin molecular weight on curing performance of LPF resins has yet to be investigated. This research work examined the optimization of synthesis parameters including percent substitution of phenol with lignin, formaldehyde- to-phenol ratio (F/P), and Mw of lignin to reduce the curing temperature and increase the adhesive strength of LPF. DSC analysis indicated that lignin with Mw ~1200g/mol resulted …

Modeling And Control Of Nanoparticle Bloodstream Concentration For Cancer Therapies, Scarlett S. Bracey

Doctoral Dissertations

Currently, the most commonly used treatments for cancerous tumors (chemotherapy, radiation, etc.) have almost no method of monitoring the administration of the treatment for adverse effects in real time. Without any real time feedback or control, treatment becomes a "guess and check" method with no way of predicting the effects of the drugs based on the actual bioavailability to the patient's body. One particular drug may be effective for one patient, yet provide no benefit to another. Doctors and scientists do not routinely attempt to quantifiably explain this discrepancy. In this work, mathematical modeling and analysis techniques are joined together …

Computational Optogenetics: Empirically-Derived Voltage- And Light-Sensitive Channelrhodopsin-2 Model, John C. Williams, Jianjin Xu, Zhongju Lu, Aleksandra Klimas, Xuxin Chen, Christina M. Ambrosi, Ira S. Cohen, Emilia Entcheva

Department of Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Channelrhodospin-2 (ChR2), a light-sensitive ion channel, and its variants have emerged as new excitatory optogenetic tools not only in neuroscience, but also in other areas, including cardiac electrophysiology. An accurate quantitative model of ChR2 is necessary for in silicoprediction of the response to optical stimulation in realistic tissue/organ settings. Such a model can guide the rational design of new ion channel functionality tailored to different cell types/tissues. Focusing on one of the most widely used ChR2 mutants (H134R) with enhanced current, we collected a comprehensive experimental data set of the response of this ion channel to different irradiances and voltages, …