Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Engineering Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Discipline
Keyword
Publication Year
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 31 - 60 of 17755

Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Modeling And Understanding Dispute Causation In The Us Public-Private Partnership Projects, Mohamad Abdul Nabi, Rayan H. Assaad, Islam H. El-Adaway Mar 2024

Modeling And Understanding Dispute Causation In The Us Public-Private Partnership Projects, Mohamad Abdul Nabi, Rayan H. Assaad, Islam H. El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The partnership between the public and private sectors has led to a new and innovative way of delivering infrastructure projects that is referred to as public-private partnership (PPP). There are various benefits associated with PPP delivery methods including risk sharing, access to private funding, innovation, and flexibility, among others. Despite the proved benefits, contract conflicts and disputes are very common in PPP projects. While previous research studies examined the risks and the potential causes of conflicts in PPP projects, little-to-no research efforts were directed to study and model the interconnectivities between the different causes of conflicts in PPP agreements. To …


Dynamic Model Of Ac-Ac Dual Active Bridge Converter Using The Extended Generalized Average Modeling Framework, Kartikeya Jayadurga Prasad Veeramraju, Jonathan W. Kimball Mar 2024

Dynamic Model Of Ac-Ac Dual Active Bridge Converter Using The Extended Generalized Average Modeling Framework, Kartikeya Jayadurga Prasad Veeramraju, Jonathan W. Kimball

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The ac-ac dual active bridge (DAB) converter is an advanced bidirectional two-port grid interface converter that facilitates active and reactive power flow control between two grids without a dc-link capacitor. This article presents a novel modeling approach for the ac-ac DAB converter using the extended generalized average modeling (EGAM) technique. Unlike the conventional generalized average modeling (GAM) framework, the ac-ac DAB converter's dynamic state variables, including the leakage inductor current and ac grid side LC filters, exhibit grid and switching frequency components, making the standard GAM framework unsuitable for dynamic modeling involving two distinct excitation frequencies. Furthermore, the 2-D GAM …


Laboratory Evaluation Of High-Temperature Resistant Lysine-Based Polymer Gel Systems For Leakage Control, Tao Song, Xuyang Tian, Baojun Bai, Yugandhara Eriyagama, Mohamed Ahdaya, Adel Alotibi, Thomas P. Schuman Mar 2024

Laboratory Evaluation Of High-Temperature Resistant Lysine-Based Polymer Gel Systems For Leakage Control, Tao Song, Xuyang Tian, Baojun Bai, Yugandhara Eriyagama, Mohamed Ahdaya, Adel Alotibi, Thomas P. Schuman

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In-situ crosslinking gel known for its cost-effectiveness, has been employed for decades to plug high-permeability features in subsurface environments. However, some commonly used crosslinkers are being phased out due to the increasingly rigorous environmental regulations. As a newly discovered environmentally friendly crosslinker, lysine can crosslink the partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide through transamidation reaction. The present work aimed to study the effect of polymer composition and concentration on the gelation behavior of lysine and high molecular weight acrylamide-based polymers. Several commercial high molecular weight polymers with different contents of 2-Acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propane sulfonic acid (AMPS) including AN-105/125, SAV-55/37/28, and SAV-10 were deployed in this …


Circular Economy Policies For Decarbonization Of Us Commercial Building Stocks: Data Integration And System Dynamics Coflow Modeling Approach, Radwa Eissa, Islam H. El-Adaway Mar 2024

Circular Economy Policies For Decarbonization Of Us Commercial Building Stocks: Data Integration And System Dynamics Coflow Modeling Approach, Radwa Eissa, Islam H. El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Despite the recognition of the built environment as a sector with high potential for reducing embodied emissions, there is a lack of national-level data on embodied carbon emissions attributed to the US commercial building stocks. Hence, there is a need to benchmark the current state of embodied emissions attributed to the commercial built environment and the impact of circular economy (CE) policies for their decarbonization to facilitate well-informed decision-making. This paper fills this knowledge gap through providing policy makers with a framework that estimates the current and future projections of embodied carbon emissions attributable to the US commercial building stocks …


Continual Online Learning-Based Optimal Tracking Control Of Nonlinear Strict-Feedback Systems: Application To Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Irfan Ganie, Sarangapani Jagannathan Mar 2024

Continual Online Learning-Based Optimal Tracking Control Of Nonlinear Strict-Feedback Systems: Application To Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Irfan Ganie, Sarangapani Jagannathan

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A novel optimal trajectory tracking scheme is introduced for nonlinear continuous-time systems in strict feedback form with uncertain dynamics by using neural networks (NNs). The method employs an actor-critic-based NN back-stepping technique for minimizing a discounted value function along with an identifier to approximate unknown system dynamics that are expressed in augmented form. Novel online weight update laws for the actor and critic NNs are derived by using both the NN identifier and Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman residual error. A new continual lifelong learning technique utilizing the Fisher Information Matrix via Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman residual error is introduced to obtain the significance of weights in …


An Impedance-Source-Based Soft-Switched High Step-Up Dc-Dc Converter With An Active Clamp, Saeed Habibi, Ramin Rahimi, Mehdi Ferdowsi, Pourya Shamsi Mar 2024

An Impedance-Source-Based Soft-Switched High Step-Up Dc-Dc Converter With An Active Clamp, Saeed Habibi, Ramin Rahimi, Mehdi Ferdowsi, Pourya Shamsi

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This article proposes a high step-up dc-dc converter based on a trans-inverse impedance-source structure, in which the voltage gain of the converter is increased by using a lower number of turns ratio of the coupled inductors (CI) windings. The proposed converter achieves a very high voltage gain and a very low voltage stress on the switches. An active clamp is incorporated into the topology of the proposed converter, helping to absorb the energy of the leakage inductances of the CI, and to recycle that energy to the output of the converter to further increase the voltage gain. Furthermore, the active …


Toward Smart And Sustainable Cement Manufacturing Process: Analysis And Optimization Of Cement Clinker Quality Using Thermodynamic And Data-Informed Approaches, Jardel P. Gonçalves, Taihao Han, Gaurav Sant, Narayanan Neithalath, Jie Huang, Aditya Kumar Mar 2024

Toward Smart And Sustainable Cement Manufacturing Process: Analysis And Optimization Of Cement Clinker Quality Using Thermodynamic And Data-Informed Approaches, Jardel P. Gonçalves, Taihao Han, Gaurav Sant, Narayanan Neithalath, Jie Huang, Aditya Kumar

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Cement manufacturing is widely recognized for its harmful impacts on the natural environment. In recent years, efforts have been made to improve the sustainability of cement manufacturing through the use of renewable energy, the capture of CO2 emissions, and partial replacement of cement with supplementary cementitious materials. To further enhance sustainability, optimizing the cement manufacturing process is essential. This can be achieved through the prediction and optimization of clinker phases in relation to chemical compositions of raw materials and manufacturing conditions. Cement clinkers are produced by heating raw materials in kilns, where both raw material compositions and processing conditions …


Advancement In Heavy Oil Upgrading And Sustainable Exploration Emerging Technologies, Youssef Yatimi, Jihane Mendil, Meena Marafi, Ahmed Alalou, Muthanna H. Al-Dahhan Mar 2024

Advancement In Heavy Oil Upgrading And Sustainable Exploration Emerging Technologies, Youssef Yatimi, Jihane Mendil, Meena Marafi, Ahmed Alalou, Muthanna H. Al-Dahhan

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Upgrading heavy oil is a subject of high importance for fossil fuel industry due to the rapid depletion of light oil reservoirs and the consequent increased demand for upgrading heavy oil. In this review, the advancement made in heavy oil upgrading and the proposed sustainable emerging technologies dedicated to heavy oil processing have been discussed in a comprehensive and informative manner with consideration to the encountered associated with properties of heavy oil including its significant content of undesirable large molecular weight hydrocarbons, its high viscosity, and its elevated impurity level. The shortcomings of conventional crude oil upgrading technologies are outlined, …


A Priori Procedure To Establish Spinodal Decomposition In Alloys, Simon Divilov, Hagen Eckert, Cormac Toher, Rico Friedrich, Adam C. Zettel, Donald W. Brenner, William G. Fahrenholtz, Douglas E. Wolfe, Eva Zurek, Jon Paul Maria, Nico Hotz, Xiomara Campilongo, Stefano Curtarolo Mar 2024

A Priori Procedure To Establish Spinodal Decomposition In Alloys, Simon Divilov, Hagen Eckert, Cormac Toher, Rico Friedrich, Adam C. Zettel, Donald W. Brenner, William G. Fahrenholtz, Douglas E. Wolfe, Eva Zurek, Jon Paul Maria, Nico Hotz, Xiomara Campilongo, Stefano Curtarolo

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Spinodal decomposition can improve a number of essential properties in materials, especially hardness. Yet, the theoretical prediction of the onset of this phenomenon (e.g., temperature) and its microstructure (e.g., wavelength) often requires input parameters coming from costly and time-consuming experimental efforts, hindering rational materials optimization. Here, we present a procedure where such parameters are not derived from experiments. First, we calculate the spinodal temperature by modeling nucleation in the solid solution while approaching the spinode boundary. Then, we compute the spinodal wavelength self-consistently using a few reasonable approximations. Our results show remarkable agreement with experiments and, for NiRh, the calculated …


Designing Explainable Ai To Improve Human-Ai Team Performance: A Medical Stakeholder-Driven Scoping Review, Harishankar V. Subramanian, Casey I. Canfield, Daniel Burton Shank Mar 2024

Designing Explainable Ai To Improve Human-Ai Team Performance: A Medical Stakeholder-Driven Scoping Review, Harishankar V. Subramanian, Casey I. Canfield, Daniel Burton Shank

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The rise of complex AI systems in healthcare and other sectors has led to a growing area of research called Explainable AI (XAI) designed to increase transparency. In this area, quantitative and qualitative studies focus on improving user trust and task performance by providing system- and prediction-level XAI features. We analyze stakeholder engagement events (interviews and workshops) on the use of AI for kidney transplantation. From this we identify themes which we use to frame a scoping literature review on current XAI features. The stakeholder engagement process lasted over nine months covering three stakeholder group's workflows, determining where AI could …


Inverting Geodetic Strain Rates For Slip Deficit Rate In Complex Deforming Zones: An Application To The New Zealand Plate Boundary, Kaj M. Johnson, Laura M. Wallace, Jeremy Maurer, Ian Hamling, Charles Williams, Chris Rollins, Matt Gerstenberger, Russ Van Dissen Mar 2024

Inverting Geodetic Strain Rates For Slip Deficit Rate In Complex Deforming Zones: An Application To The New Zealand Plate Boundary, Kaj M. Johnson, Laura M. Wallace, Jeremy Maurer, Ian Hamling, Charles Williams, Chris Rollins, Matt Gerstenberger, Russ Van Dissen

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The potential for future earthquakes on faults is often inferred from inversions of geodetically derived surface velocities for locking on faults using kinematic models such as block models. This can be challenging in complex deforming zones with many closely spaced faults or where deformation is not readily described with block motions. Furthermore, surface strain rates are more directly related to coupling on faults than surface velocities. We present a methodology for estimating slip deficit rate directly from strain rate and apply it to New Zealand for the purpose of incorporating geodetic data in the 2022 revision of the New Zealand …


Jet-Driven Mixing Regimes Identified In The Unsteady Isothermal Filling Of Rectangular Municipal Water Storage Tanks, Pramod Narayan Bangalore, K. (Kelly) O. Homan Mar 2024

Jet-Driven Mixing Regimes Identified In The Unsteady Isothermal Filling Of Rectangular Municipal Water Storage Tanks, Pramod Narayan Bangalore, K. (Kelly) O. Homan

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Poor mixing of old and new water in municipal water storage vessels is a well-documented basis for potentially harmful water quality degradation in drinking water distribution systems. This numerical study investigates the effects of inflow and operational variables on mixing in the jet-driven filling process, with a particular focus on the transition from inadequate to sufficient mixing levels. An isothermal unsteady reynolds-averaged-navier-stokes volume-of-fluid (RANS-VOF) simulation is used to model the variable-volume filling process, accounting for the moving free surface following a draw-down in the stored water volume. A low diffusivity tracer is used to mark the old-water volume, and a …


The Thermophysical Properties Of Tco2, Hong Zhong, Jason Lonergan, John S. Mccloy, Scott P. Beckman Mar 2024

The Thermophysical Properties Of Tco2, Hong Zhong, Jason Lonergan, John S. Mccloy, Scott P. Beckman

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Technetium-99 Is A Highly Radioactive Isotope With A Long Half-Life That Is Common In Nuclear Waste. It Volatizes At A Low Temperature, Which Poses A Significant Challenge To The Clean-Up And Containment Processes. Due To Difficulties In Purifying Technetium Compounds, Their Thermophysical Properties Have Not Been Measured Or Calculated. Here, First Principle Methods Are Used Along With The Quasi Quasi-Harmonic Harmonic Approximation To Compute The Debye Temperature, Volumetric Thermal Expansion Coefficient, Bulk Modulus, And Heat Capacity Of Rutile TcO2 For Temperatures Ranging From 0 To 1500 K And Applied Pressures Ranging From 0 To 255 GPa. The Computed Atomic Structures …


Methodology To Design Eco-Friendly Fiber-Reinforced Concrete For 3d Printing, Haodao Li, Alfred Addai-Nimoh, Eric Kreiger, Kamal H. Khayat Mar 2024

Methodology To Design Eco-Friendly Fiber-Reinforced Concrete For 3d Printing, Haodao Li, Alfred Addai-Nimoh, Eric Kreiger, Kamal H. Khayat

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Greater use of locally available supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) to reduce cement content and addition of fiber reinforcement can enhance the performance of 3D printing (3DP) technology in construction. In this study, three classes of eco-friendly 3D printable fiber-reinforced mixtures were targeted, namely ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC), high-performance concrete (HPC), and conventional concrete (CC). A step-by-step methodology was proposed to maximize the substitution rate of cement with SCM and limestone filler and optimize fiber volume for the successful development of 3D printable fiber-reinforced materials. Binder combinations were initially investigated on the paste level to determine the packing density and robustness. Selected …


Distributed Solar Generation: Current Knowledge And Future Trends, Gasser G. Ali, Islam H. El-Adaway Mar 2024

Distributed Solar Generation: Current Knowledge And Future Trends, Gasser G. Ali, Islam H. El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Distributed solar generation (DSG) has been growing over the previous years because of its numerous advantages of being sustainable, flexible, reliable, and increasingly affordable. DSG is a broad and multidisciplinary research field because it relates to various fields in engineering, social sciences, economics, public policy, and others. Developing a holistic understanding of the state of research related to DSG can be difficult. Motivated to provide that understanding, the goal of this paper is to explore current and emerging multidisciplinary research trends associated with DSG. To achieve that, (1) a large data set of approximately 66,000 publications was collected; (2) the …


Natural Gas Induced Vegetation Stress Identification And Discrimination From Hyperspectral Imaging For Pipeline Leakage Detection, Pengfei Ma, Ying Zhuo, Genda Chen, Joel G. Burken Mar 2024

Natural Gas Induced Vegetation Stress Identification And Discrimination From Hyperspectral Imaging For Pipeline Leakage Detection, Pengfei Ma, Ying Zhuo, Genda Chen, Joel G. Burken

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Remote Sensing Detection of Natural Gas Leaks Remains Challenging When using Ground Vegetation Stress to Detect Underground Pipeline Leaks. Other Natural Stressors May Co-Present and Complicate Gas Leak Detection. This Study Explores the Feasibility of Identifying and Distinguishing Gas-Induced Stress from Other Natural Stresses by Analyzing the Hyperspectral Reflectance of Vegetation. the Effectiveness of This Discrimination is Assessed Across Three Distinct Spectral Ranges (VNIR, SWIR, and Full Spectra). Greenhouse Experiments Subjected Three Plant Species to Controlled Environmental Stressors, Including Gas Leakage, Salinity Impact, Heavy-Metal Contamination, and Drought Exposure. Spectral Curves Obtained from the Experiments Underwent Preprocessing Techniques Such as Standard …


Heat Treatments For Minimization Of Residual Stresses And Maximization Of Tensile Strengths Of Scalmalloy® Processed Via Directed Energy Deposition, Rachel Boillat-Newport, Sriram Praneeth Isanaka, Jonathan Kelley, Frank Liou Mar 2024

Heat Treatments For Minimization Of Residual Stresses And Maximization Of Tensile Strengths Of Scalmalloy® Processed Via Directed Energy Deposition, Rachel Boillat-Newport, Sriram Praneeth Isanaka, Jonathan Kelley, Frank Liou

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Scalmalloy® is an Al-Mg-Sc-Zr-Based Alloy Specifically Developed for Additive Manufacturing (AM). This Alloy is Designed for Use with a Direct Aging Treatment, as Recommended by the Manufacturer, Rather Than with a Multistep Treatment, as Often Seen in Conventional Manufacturing. Most Work with Scalmalloy® is Conducted using Powder Bed Rather Than Powder-Fed Processes. This Investigation Seeks to Fill This Knowledge Gap and Expand Beyond Single-Step Aging to Promote an overall Balanced AM-Fabricated Component. for This Study, Directed Energy Deposition (DED)-Fabricated Scalmalloy® Components Were Subjected to Low-Temperature Treatments to Minimize Residual Stresses Inherent in the Material Due to the Layer-By-Layer Build Process. …


Characterization Of Alkali-Silica Reaction (Asr) Products And C-S-H Using Swir Spectroscopy For Nondestructive Detection Of Asr, Pengfei Ma, Wenyu Liao, Ying Zhuo, Hongyan Ma, Yanping Zhu, Genda Chen Feb 2024

Characterization Of Alkali-Silica Reaction (Asr) Products And C-S-H Using Swir Spectroscopy For Nondestructive Detection Of Asr, Pengfei Ma, Wenyu Liao, Ying Zhuo, Hongyan Ma, Yanping Zhu, Genda Chen

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study explores the feasibility of characterizing alkali-silica reaction (ASR) products and calcium silicate hydrates (C-S-H) from short-wave infrared (SWIR) spectroscopy. ASR products and C-S-H samples with different Ca/Si ratios were synthesized and analyzed through XRD, 29Si nuclei magnetic resonance (NMR) and SWIR spectroscopy. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was collected to help interpret the results from the SWIR spectroscopy. The obtained spectroscopic features were applied to quantify the ASR product abundance denoted by the length expansion of mortar bars after an accelerated ASR test. The results show that the SWIR spectra of the synthetic ASR gels are similar regardless of …


Evolution Of Sbs-Modified Asphalt Performance Under Aging And Rejuvenation Cycle Conditions, Ke Shi, Feng Ma, Jenny Liu, Zhen Fu, Ruimeng Song, Dongdong Yuan, Aboudou Wassiou Ogbon Feb 2024

Evolution Of Sbs-Modified Asphalt Performance Under Aging And Rejuvenation Cycle Conditions, Ke Shi, Feng Ma, Jenny Liu, Zhen Fu, Ruimeng Song, Dongdong Yuan, Aboudou Wassiou Ogbon

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Improving the poor long-term service performance of rejuvenated SBS-modified asphalt (REF-LT) is highly challenging. In this study, a blend of aged and virgin binders was used to rejuvenate REF-LT and the evolution of the asphalt performance was observed during regeneration and reaging processes. An SBS-modified asphalt (SBM) and base asphalt (BA) were mixed with REF-LT in specified ratios to prepare SBM- and BA-rejuvenated asphalts. The rejuvenated asphalts were subjected to short- and long-term aging. The high/low-temperature rheological properties, fatigue resistance, rejuvenation mechanism, and changes in the functional groups of the rejuvenated and reaged asphalts were characterized using a dynamic shear …


Fly Ash Coated With Alumina Sol For Improving Strength And Thermal Insulation Of Mullite Porous Ceramics, Minghui Li, Peilin Li, Qingqing Gao, Saisai Li, Ruoyu Chen, Haiming Wen, Canhua Li Feb 2024

Fly Ash Coated With Alumina Sol For Improving Strength And Thermal Insulation Of Mullite Porous Ceramics, Minghui Li, Peilin Li, Qingqing Gao, Saisai Li, Ruoyu Chen, Haiming Wen, Canhua Li

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The manufacturing of mullite porous ceramics with high strength and low thermal conductivity was achieved through foam gel-casting processes using fly ash coated with alumina sol layers. This research aimed to investigate the effect of alumina sol concentration on foaming slurry rheology, as well as the influence of alumina sol coating layers on the microstructure, phase compositions and properties of the resulting mullite porous ceramics. Increasing the alumina sol concentration from 5 to 20 wt% improved both the viscosity and thixotropy of the foaming slurries while enhanced the shear thinning behavior. Porous ceramics prepared with fly ash coated with alumina …


Numerical And Experimental Investigation Of Negative Stiffness Beams And Honeycomb Structures, Yasser Darwish, Mohamed A. Elgawady Feb 2024

Numerical And Experimental Investigation Of Negative Stiffness Beams And Honeycomb Structures, Yasser Darwish, Mohamed A. Elgawady

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Metamaterial structures that exhibit negative stiffness (MSNS) behavior have shown the potential to be used as energy dissipation systems in different applications. Negative stiffness honeycomb structures consist of multiple pre-buckled beams that snapping through from one pre-buckled mode to another buckled mode, when subjected to transverse loads, displaying negative stiffness, and dissipating a significant portion of the input energy. This paper presents finite element models (FEMs) developed to investigate the performance of negative stiffness pre-buckled beams and honeycombs. The FEMs were validated using experimental results of single pre-buckled beams and honeycomb structures. The experimental testing of the pre-buckled beams was …


Development Of Inorganically Cross-Linked Sulfonated Polyacrylamide Preformed Particle Gels For Conformance Control: Impact Of Anionic Groups, Reem Elaf, Ahmed Hamza, Hassan Nimir, Mohammed Saad, Ibnelwaleed A. Hussein, Baojun Bai Feb 2024

Development Of Inorganically Cross-Linked Sulfonated Polyacrylamide Preformed Particle Gels For Conformance Control: Impact Of Anionic Groups, Reem Elaf, Ahmed Hamza, Hassan Nimir, Mohammed Saad, Ibnelwaleed A. Hussein, Baojun Bai

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Modern oil and gas extraction faces challenges, notably from the surplus of produced water, hampering hydrocarbon recovery and raising environmental and economic concerns. A promising solution is the injection of preformed particle gels (PPGs) into the reservoir's fractures and high permeability zones, facilitating production processes. This study introduces a novel class of inorganically cross-linked PPGs with exceptionally high swelling capacities, comprising sulfonated polyacrylamide cross-linked with aluminum attached to acetate, nitrate, sulfate, and lactate anions individually. These PPGs function as superabsorbents, capable of absorbing water at a ratio of 100-700 times their dry weight while maintaining adequate gel strength up to …


Physio-Chemical Modifications To Re-Engineer Small Extracellular Vesicles For Targeted Anticancer Therapeutics Delivery And Imaging, Rahmat Asfiya, Lei Xu, Anjugam Paramanantham, Kuanysh Kabytaev, Anna Chernatynskaya, Grace Mccully, Hu Yang, Akhil Srivastava Feb 2024

Physio-Chemical Modifications To Re-Engineer Small Extracellular Vesicles For Targeted Anticancer Therapeutics Delivery And Imaging, Rahmat Asfiya, Lei Xu, Anjugam Paramanantham, Kuanysh Kabytaev, Anna Chernatynskaya, Grace Mccully, Hu Yang, Akhil Srivastava

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Cancer theranostics developed through nanoengineering applications are essential for targeted oncologic interventions in the new era of personalized and precision medicine. Recently, small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) have emerged as an attractive nanoengineering platform for tumor-directed anticancer therapeutic delivery and imaging of malignant tumors. These natural nanoparticles have multiple advantages over synthetic nanoparticle-based delivery systems, such as intrinsic targeting ability, less immunogenicity, and a prolonged circulation time. Since the inception of sEVs as a viable replacement for liposomes (synthetic nanoparticles) as a drug delivery vehicle, many studies have attempted to further the therapeutic efficacy of sEVs. This article discusses engineering strategies …


Rab7 Deficiency Impairs Pulmonary Artery Endothelial Function And Promotes Pulmonary Hypertension, Bryce Piper, Srimathi Bogamuwa, Tanvir Hossain, Daniela Farkas, Lorena Rosas, Adam C. Green, Geoffrey Newcomb, Nuo Sun, Jose A. Ovando-Ricardez, Jeffrey C. Horowitz, Aneel R. Bhagwani, Hu Yang, Tatiana V. Kudryashova, Mauricio Rojas Feb 2024

Rab7 Deficiency Impairs Pulmonary Artery Endothelial Function And Promotes Pulmonary Hypertension, Bryce Piper, Srimathi Bogamuwa, Tanvir Hossain, Daniela Farkas, Lorena Rosas, Adam C. Green, Geoffrey Newcomb, Nuo Sun, Jose A. Ovando-Ricardez, Jeffrey C. Horowitz, Aneel R. Bhagwani, Hu Yang, Tatiana V. Kudryashova, Mauricio Rojas

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a devastating and progressive disease with limited treatment options. Endothelial dysfunction plays a central role in the development and progression of PAH, yet the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. The endosome-lysosome system is important to maintain cellular health, and the small GTPase RAB7 regulates many functions of this system. Here, we explored the role of RAB7 in endothelial cell (EC) function and lung vascular homeostasis. We found reduced expression of RAB7 in ECs from patients with PAH. Endothelial haploinsufficiency of RAB7 caused spontaneous pulmonary hypertension (PH) in mice. Silencing of RAB7 in ECs induced broad …


Pisa Printing Microneedles With Controllable Aqueous Dissolution Kinetics, Aaron Priester, Jimmy Yeng, Yuwei Zhang, Krista Hilmas, Risheng Wang, Anthony J. Convertine Feb 2024

Pisa Printing Microneedles With Controllable Aqueous Dissolution Kinetics, Aaron Priester, Jimmy Yeng, Yuwei Zhang, Krista Hilmas, Risheng Wang, Anthony J. Convertine

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study focused on the development of high-resolution polymeric structures using polymer-induced self-assembly (PISA) printing with commercially available digital light-processing (DLP) printers. Significantly, soluble solids could be 3D-printed using this methodology with controllable aqueous dissolution rates. This was achieved using a highly branched macrochain transfer agent (macro-CTA) containing multiple covalently attached CTA groups. In this work, the use of acrylamide as the self-assembling monomer in isopropyl alcohol was explored with the addition of N-(butoxymethyl)acrylamide to modulate the aqueous dissolution kinetics. PISA-printed microneedles were observed to have feature sizes as small as 27 μm, which was close to the resolution limit …


Wearable Mxene-Graphene Sensing Of Influenza And Sars-Cov-2 Virus In Air And Breath: From Lab To Clinic, Yanxiao Li, Zhekun Peng, Jiaoli Li, Congjie Wei, Shangbin Liu, Weixing Hao, Huanyu Cheng, Casey Burton, Yang Wang, Yue-Wern Huang, Chang Soo Kim, Fang Yao Stephen Hou, Donghyun (Bill) Kim, Chenglin Wu Feb 2024

Wearable Mxene-Graphene Sensing Of Influenza And Sars-Cov-2 Virus In Air And Breath: From Lab To Clinic, Yanxiao Li, Zhekun Peng, Jiaoli Li, Congjie Wei, Shangbin Liu, Weixing Hao, Huanyu Cheng, Casey Burton, Yang Wang, Yue-Wern Huang, Chang Soo Kim, Fang Yao Stephen Hou, Donghyun (Bill) Kim, Chenglin Wu

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The rapidly expanding severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its variants demand a continuous monitoring method through portable and wearable devices. Utilizing the rich surface chemistry and high chemical-to-electrical signal conversion of 2D MXene-graphene heterostructure thin films, a field-effect-transistor (FET) sensor, which has a flexible substrate to be assembled onto the mask and combines with a Bluetooth system for wireless transmission is developed, to detect the influenza and SARS-CoV-2 viruses in air and breath. At first, the developed sensors are examined in the laboratory through direct contact with sensing targets in solution form. The results show a low …


Synergistic Effect Of Macro Synthetic Fiber And Shrinkage-Reducing Admixture On Engineering Properties Of Fiber-Reinforced Super-Workable Concrete, Jingjie Wei, Nima Farzadnia, Kamal H. Khayat Feb 2024

Synergistic Effect Of Macro Synthetic Fiber And Shrinkage-Reducing Admixture On Engineering Properties Of Fiber-Reinforced Super-Workable Concrete, Jingjie Wei, Nima Farzadnia, Kamal H. Khayat

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study aims to enhance fiber-reinforced super-workable concrete (FR-SWC) by optimizing the system of shrinkage-reducing admixture (SRA) and macro-synthetic fiber (MSF) for low shrinkage and uncompromised mechanical properties. A factorial design approach was employed to model the effect of fiber content, SRA dosage, and combined ratios of two types of MSF on performance of FR-SWC. MSF content had the greatest impact on mechanical properties, followed by SRA and MSF combination. Using MSF increased equivalent flexural strength ratio by 310% compared to the control mixture, regardless of MSF combination and SRA. SRA had the most significant effect on drying shrinkage, followed …


From Pumping To Deposition: A Comprehensive Review Of Test Methods For Characterizing Concrete Printability, Ali Fasihi, Nicolas A. (Ali) Libre Feb 2024

From Pumping To Deposition: A Comprehensive Review Of Test Methods For Characterizing Concrete Printability, Ali Fasihi, Nicolas A. (Ali) Libre

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

3D concrete printing (3DCP) technology has gained significant attention in the construction industry due to its potential to revolutionize the way buildings are designed and constructed. However, successful application of 3DCP requires robust standard test procedures to characterize the printability of concrete. Printability is a measure of workability for a printing material in the 3DCP process, which is characterized by pumpability, extrudability, and buildability. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the test methods that could be used for material characterization during various printing steps, including pumping, extrusion, and layer deposition. The underlying mechanisms relevant to each step, key governing …


Understanding Roles And Evaluating Reactivity Of Fly Ashes In Calcium Aluminate Binders, Sai Akshay Ponduru, Taihao Han, Jie Huang, Narayanan Neithalath, Gaurav Sant, Aditya Kumar Feb 2024

Understanding Roles And Evaluating Reactivity Of Fly Ashes In Calcium Aluminate Binders, Sai Akshay Ponduru, Taihao Han, Jie Huang, Narayanan Neithalath, Gaurav Sant, Aditya Kumar

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Calcium aluminate cement (CAC) is an alternative to Portland cement, valued for its superior early strength and thermal resistance. Partially replacing CAC with Fly ash (FA) can reduce carbon footprint and production costs of CAC, producing sustainable cementitious binders. This research investigates on various properties (i.e., hydration kinetics; phase assemblage evolution; compressive strength) of [CAC + FA] binders. Using 13 distinct FAs, up to 50% of CAC was substituted. The study measures hydration kinetics, compressive strength, and employs the number of constraints to estimate FA reactivity. Advanced quantitative analysis draws links between hydration kinetics and compressive strength and elucidate the …


Advancing Occupational Health In Mining: Investigating Low-Cost Sensors Suitability For Improved Coal Dust Exposure Monitoring, Mirza Muhammad Zaid, Nana Amoah, Ashish Kakoria, Yang Wang, Guang Xu Feb 2024

Advancing Occupational Health In Mining: Investigating Low-Cost Sensors Suitability For Improved Coal Dust Exposure Monitoring, Mirza Muhammad Zaid, Nana Amoah, Ashish Kakoria, Yang Wang, Guang Xu

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Exposure to coal dust in underground coal mines poses significant health risks to workers, including the development of diseases such as coal workers' pneumoconiosis and silicosis. Current available methods for monitoring coal dust exposure are expensive and time-consuming, necessitating the exploration of alternative approaches. Low-cost light scattering particulate matter sensors offer a promising solution, and its development in recent years has demonstrated some success in air quality monitoring However, its application in sensing coal particles is limited partially due to that the operating condition in a mine is different than the atmosphere. Thus, the objective of this paper is to …