Engineering Commons^™

Digital Health Design For Improving Treatment Decisions, Akanksha Singh

Theses and Dissertations

In the age of artificial intelligence and large datasets, information retrieval by querying large databases is an impossible task for the common user due to the information overload. Recommender Systems (RS) for commercial applications like YouTube, Amazon and Netflix were designed to support users by finding items of interest based on their user profiles and various filtering techniques. Health Recommender Systems (HRS) is a category of RSs that provides immense opportunities for application across several healthcare domains and contexts including treatment decision support. Unlike RS applications that focus on analyzing consumer choices, a key differentiator for HRS applications is the …

Economic And Input-Use Efficiency Of Nitrogen Management Techniques In Non-Irrigated Maize Production, Katie J. Bathke

Honors Theses

The efficiency of nitrogen (N) management has become a main concern in agricultural cropping systems for understanding the optimal N rate to help producers improve economically and reduce the exhaustion of natural resources environmentally. Nitrogen rates vary both temporally and spatially by the interactions of the soil environment and rainfall through a growing season. Thus, a site-specific approach can further optimize this variability with the understanding of the role soil variability plays in the N rate applied to a non-irrigated field. The objective of this study was to evaluate the various nitrogen treatments for their nutrient use efficiency and economic …

Prepubertal Periodontitis In Children: For An Adequate Diagnosis And Optimal Care, F.Z. El Mouatarif, S. Chemlali, M. Hamza, J. Kissa, S. El Arabi

Health Sciences

Prepubertal periodontitis (PP) is a rare and rapid progressive condition found a young cohort of patients that results in destruction of the periodontal support of the primary dentition. Its generalized form, prepubertal periodontitis is often associated with a significant gingival tissue inflammation and fast bone loss with attachment loss leading to the tooth loss. The localized form of PP is characterized by a much more discreet inflammation and slow evolution. It can be associated with a known underlying systemic disease or may occur as part of a recognized syndrome or as an isolated finding. Different treatment modalities can be used …

Investigation Of Mechanical Regulation On Stat3 Activity And Mmp Production, Jaxson R. Libby

Honors Theses and Capstones

Transcription factor, STAT3, is inappropriately expressed in cancer cells, and has contrasting activation in 2D versus 3D microenvironments. 2D plates are often used for drug screening and do not always recapitulate in vivo responses. To combat inaccurate 2D drug studies, a 3D hydrogel was created to support the growth of cancer cells into a tumor-like environment. The hydrogel consists of a biocompatible dextran homopolysaccharide, cell adhesion RGD sequences, and crosslinker MMP labile peptides. A pH dependent reaction couples the RGD sequences to dextran then the polymers are crosslinked into a gel. Crosslinking is accomplished using terminal cysteine peptide sequences, allowing …

Encapsulation Of Antimicrobial Peptides In Bicontinuous Microemulsions For Topical Delivery To Surgical Site Infections And Chronic Wounds, Madison A. Oehler

Masters Theses

Surgical site infections and chronic wounds, especially those caused by antibiotic-resistant microorganisms, result in hospitalization and fatalities each year. Methods to prevent these infections, such as cleaning and preparing medical tools, have had minimal success in preventing infections. Further, antibiotic treatments have become less successful in treating infections and wounds because of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Antimicrobial peptides (AMP) are a possible treatment solution for wound infections. AMPs are oligopeptides that occur in nature or can be synthesized in vitro which possess a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity against bacteria and other harmful microorganisms. AMPs operate by disrupting the packing arrangements of …

Use Of Halide Radicals In Water Treatment, Madhusudan Kamat

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The increasing population and a reduction in freshwater resources has made the reuse of water imperative [1-3]. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) enable the safe reuse of wastewater through the removal of persistent pollutants. The highly reactive nature of reactive species, like hydroxyl radicals is limited by their reactivity with ubiquitous compounds like dissolved organic matter (DOM)[4, 5]. The use of halide radicals can help improve the efficiency of UV-based AOPs.

This thesis investigates the mechanism of halide radicals in three different systems: a) the use of iodine radicals in functionalized fullerenes b) the use of UV/chlorine as an advanced oxidation …

Cobalt Ferrite Nano-Composites For The Oxidation Of Phenols In Oil Refinery Wastewater, Amira Mohamed

Theses and Dissertations

Phenolic compounds have the tendency to persist in the environment over a long period making them a main source of concern because of their toxic characteristics towards humans and animals (Bruce et al., 1987). Therefore, existence of phenolic compounds in aquatic environment is unfavourable and as a result, many treatment techniques have been implemented to treat the wastewater produced from petroleum refineries. Petroleum refineries are among the top industries that produces significant quantities of high phenol concentration wastewater. Photo-catalysis is a promising and effective method to treat phenol present in oil refineries effluent. In this study, the photo-catalyst used is …

A Computational Model Of Angiogenesis In Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Brandon Pace

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a chronic disease which causes central blindness in the eye. This progressive disease is thought to affect 1 of every 4 people over the age of 80 living in developed countries, including America. There is no cure and the only treatments to halt disease progression involve biweekly eye injections for the rest of the patient’s life. Clearly there is a great need to understand AMD and find better treatment for the many afflicted. It is known that harmful capillary growth (angiogenesis) contributes to AMD. By learning more about retinal angiogenesis, we can understand AMD in …

Optimization And Longevity Of Functionalized Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube-Enabled Membranes For Water Treatment, Madeleine Michael Isabella White

Master's Theses

Water scarcity is a growing concern at the global scale. Large scale water reuse is growing both in necessity and popularity. Before water reuse can be performed efficiently on a large scale or be used for potable supply, even indirectly, contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) will need to be treated at the full scale. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are a form of advanced water treatment capable of treating a wide range of CECs. This study contributes to the growing field of AOPs and more specifically AOPs using ozone combined with functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Ozonation of MWCNTs has been …

3d Printed Architected Materials For Improving Biofilm Carriers For Wastewater Treatment Applications, Bryan Ovelheiro

Environmental & Water Resources Engineering Masters Projects

Wastewater infrastructure in the United States has been in dire need of improvement for quite a while. It was estimated that wastewater treatment systems would need about $57.2 billion to maintain acceptable levels of treatment in the coming years (Christen, 2003). This is just for maintaining the treatment systems in place, without any room for improvement, and it only accounts for about 31.6% of the total waster infrastructure need in this area (Christen, 2003). In fact, without sufficient upgrades, water quality gains achieved through the passing of the Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water acts could be lost (Christen, 2003). …

Diseño De Un Sistema De Aprovechamiento De Aguas Lluvias Para Abastecimiento En La Planta De Producción De Una Empresa Ubicada En Cota Cundinamarca, Natalia Rátiva Algarra, María Fernanda Moreno Hernández

Ingeniería Ambiental y Sanitaria

En el presente documento se expone el diseño de un sistema de aprovechamiento de aguas lluvias para el abastecimiento en la planta de producción ubicada en Cota Cundinamarca. Su objetivo es abastecer las torres de enfriamiento de la empresa con el fin de disminuir la dependencia del suministro público de agua potable y por ende sus costos. Para la elaboración de este sistema, se recopiló información meteorológica de la zona, se realizó un análisis situacional de la planta y, posteriormente, se diseñó el sistema de recolección, conducción, tratamiento y almacenamiento del agua. Finalmente, el análisis de costos permitió conocer la …

Developing An Ontology For Representing The Domain Knowledge Specific To Non-Pharmacological Treatment For Agitation In Dementia, Zhenyu Zhang, Ping Yu, H.C. Chang, S K. Lau, Cui Tao, Ning Wang, Mengyang Yin, Chao Deng

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Introduction: A large volume of clinical care data has been generated for managing agitation in dementia. However, the valuable information in these data has not been used effectively to generate insights for improving the quality of care. Application of artificial intelligence technologies offers us enormous opportunities to reuse these data. For health data science to achieve this, this study focuses on using ontology to coding clinical knowledge for non-pharmacological treatment of agitation in a machine-readable format. Methods: The resultant ontology—Dementia-Related Agitation Non-Pharmacological Treatment Ontology (DRANPTO)—was developed using a method adopted from the NeOn methodology. Results: DRANPTO consisted of 569 concepts …

The Use Of Multi-Targeting Natural Products For The Treatment Of Cancer, Wesley Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

The paradigm shift in cancer treatments from traditional chemotherapeutics to targeted therapies has rapidly improved prognoses for patients for whom cancer was once a death sentence. This is especially true in the case of targeted immune therapies which activate the body’s own natural defense system to fight cancer. Despite these advances, however, cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the United States. The promise of targeted therapeutics has faced significant hurdles in providing effective cancer treatments, namely the limited percentage of susceptible cancers for each treatment, high cost burden, high toxicities, and significant risk of treatment induced resistance. …

Improving Wastewater Treatment Using Algal Biofilms And Bioenergy, Nathan Guymon

Research on Capitol Hill

This project represents a collaboration between Utah State University, Central Valley Water Reclamation Facility (CVWRF), and WesTech Engineering, Inc. The goal of the project is to help water treatment plants meet state nutrient standards and reduce operating costs. This is being accomplished in three major sections:

1. Wastewater treatment – microalgae is grown to remove nitrogen and phosphorus from water.

2. Biogas generation – the microalgae is harvested and processed to produce methane gas used to generate power.

3. Fertilizer production – nutrients are also collected from the wastewater and turned into high-value fertilizer.

By creating systems that remove nutrients …

A Biomechanical Comparison Of A Low-Profile Mesh Plate Contrasted With Tension Band Wiring Treatment Of Olecranon Fractures And Osteotomies, Jasmin Regalado

Mechanical Engineering ETDs

Olecranon fractures are common upper extremity injuries caused by direct trauma to the elbow. Open reduction and internal fixation is the current standard for olecranon fractures that exceed a 2 mm fragment displacement. The tension band wire (TBW) technique is the current standard of care for treating olecranon fractures due to its positive clinical results. However, the complication rate due to prominent hardware is reported to be upwards of 50\%. This research aims to biomechanically test and compare the stiffness and fracture gap of the traditional TBW technique to a low-profile titanium mesh plate (TMP) for chevron-type fractures and osteotomies …

A Psychopathological Approach To Safety Engineering In Ai And Agi, Vahid Behzadan, Arslan Munir, Roman V. Yampolskiy

Faculty Scholarship

The complexity of dynamics in AI techniques is already approaching that of complex adaptive systems, thus curtailing the feasibility of formal controllability and reachability analysis in the context of AI safety. It follows that the envisioned instances of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) will also suffer from challenges of complexity. To tackle such issues, we propose the modeling of deleterious behaviors in AI and AGI as psychological disorders, thereby enabling the employment of psychopathological approaches to analysis and control of misbehaviors. Accordingly, we present a discussion on the feasibility of the psychopathological approaches to AI safety, and propose general directions for …

Membrane-Based Separation Processes For Treating High Salinity Produced Waters, Kamyar Sardari

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Produced waters (PW) generated in the oil and gas industry within the United States often contain extreme levels of total dissolved solids (TDS). These high TDS waste streams need to be treated cost-effectively as the costs associated with the current management techniques can exceed 15 USD per barrel of discharged PW. Thermally and osmotically-driven membrane separation technologies can show promising potential for treating high TDS waste streams, as onsite low-grade waste heat may be used for their operation. In this dissertation, the application of membrane distillation (MD), forward osmosis (FO) and a hybrid FO-MD process for treating synthetic and actual …

First In Vitro Evidence Of Modulated Electro-Hyperthermia Treatment Performance In Combination With Megavoltage Radiation By Clonogenic Assay, Marjorie Mcdonald, Stephanie Corde, Michael L. F Lerch, Anatoly B. Rosenfeld, Michael A. Jackson, Moeava Tehei

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Modulated electro-hyperthermia (mEHT) is a form of hyperthermia used in the treatment of cancer. It is a variation that relies on a particular form of enhanced selectivity to enable more effective cancerous cell death yet maintaining the integrity of healthy non-cancerous cells. It is yet to successfully make the major step into the wider medical community despite several encouraging trials. In this study, we investigate mEHT from an in vitro perspective. We demonstrate a supra-additive effect on 9 L gliosarcoma cells when exposed to mEHT in combination with MV X-ray radiation. The supra-additive effect is hypothesized to be induced by …

Pediatric Leukemia: Diagnosis To Treatment–A Review, Samantha C. Bernard, Ehab H. Abdelsamad, Paisley A. Johnson, Daniel L. Chapman, Madhukiran Parvathaneni

Faculty Works

Leukemia is cancer of the blood and bone marrow, it is the most common cancer found in children and is found to be more than one fourth of pediatric cancers. It causes white blood cells to become abnormal and the body to become weak. This deficiency in the immune system reduces the body's ability to fight infection or simple airborne illnesses, causing extensive treatment of common pathogens and cancer treatment. The present review covers all topics, from diagnosis to treatment of pediatric leukemia, as well as the stages of growth and physiological changes throughout the process. As leukemia has a …

Regional Variation In Rates Of Ivf Treatment Across Australia: A Population-Based Study, Louise Rawlings, Pauline Y. O'Shaughnessy, Stephen Robson

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Background: There is variation in uptake of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) between countries, and Australia has high incidence rates of IVF due to universal public funding. However, it remains unclear whether there is regional variation and, if present, what might cause this. Objectives: We sought to determine whether regional variations in treatment rates existed and what might influence these. Methods: The number of cycles of fresh IVF and intrauterine insemination (IUI) for women were obtained for the period 2011 until 2014 in two age groups (25 to 34 years and 35 to 44 years) to calculate incidence rates. Proxy indicators …

Short Oxygen Plasma Treatment Leading To Long-Term Hydrophilicity Of Conductive Pcl-Ppy Nanofiber Scaffolds, Sajjad Shafei, Javad Foroughi, Zhiqiang Chen, Cynthia S. Wong, Minoo Naebe

Australian Institute for Innovative Materials - Papers

No abstract provided.

Enabling Studies To Optimize Biomaterials For The Treatment Of Myocardial Infarction, Eva Adriana Romito

Theses and Dissertations

The canonical mechanism of wound healing is disrupted following a myocardial infarction (MI), manifesting as an unregulated response that negatively impacts left ventricular (LV) function. This mechanism, termed post-MI remodeling, culminates in an outcome that favors progression to a systolic heart failure state and death for the patient. Therapeutic approaches following the occurrence of a MI are designed to modulate the natural remodeling process and mitigate the loss of cardiac function. The mechanics and structure of the healing infarct have been the focus of numerous pre-clinical and clinical investigations, leading to the impending clinical introduction of material injections as a …

Cal Poly On-Site Water Treatment Project Proposal, Tanner Wingo

Biomedical Engineering

This report is based off of a competition hosted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): the 2015 Campus RainWorks Challenge. Student teams were encouraged to design an infrastructure that could manage storm water, benefit campus life, and promote sustainability. The report summarizes the engineering aspects that support the competition submittal. The design is to treat campus wastewater on-site and to a suitable level for either reuse or discharge into Brizzolara Creek.

Robustness Of Ipsa Optimized High-Dose-Rate Prostate Brachytherapy Treatment Plans To Catheter Displacements, Joel Poder, May Whitaker

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Purpose: Inverse planning simulated annealing (IPSA) optimized brachytherapy treatment plans are characterized with large isolated dwell times at the first or last dwell position of each catheter. The potential of catheter shifts relative to the target and organs at risk in these plans may lead to a more significant change in delivered dose to the volumes of interest relative to plans with more uniform dwell times. Material and methods: This study aims to determine if the Nucletron Oncentra dwell time deviation constraint (DTDC) parameter can be optimized to improve the robustness of high-dose-rate (HDR) prostate brachytherapy plans to catheter displacements. …

Treatment Of Dissolved Metals For Direct Potable Reuse, Cesar Alberto Alvarez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In the process of direct potable reuse (DPR), the bulk of the removal of dissolved metals removal is accomplished by reverse osmosis. This treatment is especially important in wastewater containing contaminants from industrial processes. The goal of this research was to evaluate the performance of DPR with respect to the removal of salinity and dissolved metals to meet drinking standards. Samples were collected from the El Paso Water Utilities Advanced Water Purification pilot system throughout various points in the treatment process. The samples were analyzed for their concentration of ions with Ion Chromatography (IC) and dissolved metals using an Inductively …

Water Quality Evaluation Of Tire Derived Aggregate, Richela K. Maeda

Projects

The primary objective of this study is to investigate the rate that potential water quality contaminants leach from tire-derived aggregate (TDA) as a function of time. A laboratory and field experiment is conducted to provide insight into both controlled and field settings. The laboratory portion of this study also provides a basis for evaluating the effect that alternating periods of wet and dry weather have on the potential water quality impacts of the leachate as compared to the worst-case operating condition, when TDA is constantly submerged (i.e., when placed below the permanent groundwater table). The field experiment is used to …

Pilot-Scale Study Of Low-Tech Methods Of Sustainable Class A Biosolids Production: A Trial Run, Rebecca L. Green

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Water resource recovery facilities can improve sustainability by producing Class A biosolids. However, many conventional methods for achieving Class A biosolids are expensive, with high maintenance and energy costs. However, low-cost, low-tech (LCLT) treatment methods are also available. The overall goal of the larger project of which this study was a part is to develop a rational and universal approach for design of LCLT processes. To achieve this goal, pilot-scale studies of LCLT processes will be performed. The goal of this portion of the project was to perform a trial run pilot-scale study. During the trial run, the pilot-scale biosolids …

Graphene/Pvdf Flat-Sheet Membrane For The Treatment Of Ro Brine From Coal Seam Gas Produced Water By Air Gap Membrane Distillation, Yun Chul Woo, Youngjin Kim, Wang-Geun Shim, Leonard D. Tijing, Minwei Yao, Long D. Nghiem, June-Seok Choi, Seung-Hyun Kim, Ho Kyong Shon

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

No abstract provided.

Treatment Of Greywater Using Bio Filtration And Permeable Pavement Systems, Assem Mahn El-Ashkar

Theses

Municipal wastewater can be divided into two categories, greywater and black water. Greywater occupies about 75% of total wastewater and are relatively less polluted than the black water. Reuse of greywater is becoming popular in many arid and semiarid regions in order to reduce the municipal water demand. They can be reused for groundwater recharge, landscape irrigation and for toilet flushing. However, the main challenges are their collection, storage and selection of the appropriate treatment system. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is located in a hyper arid region, having an annual average rainfall of less than 100 mm. Reliable survey …

A Lifetime Individual Sampling Model (Ism) For Heroin Use And Treatment Evaluation In Australia, Nagesh Shukla, Van Hoang, Marian Shahanan, Alison Ritter, Vu Lam Cao, Pascal Perez

Nagesh Shukla

Illicit drug use has created an enormous burden at societal, family and personal levels. Every year a significant amount of resources is allocated for treatment and the consequences of illicit drug use in Australia and around the world. Heroin is one of the major forms of illicit drugs that are used illegally. Several independent heroin treatment strategies or interventions exist and state-of-the-art research demonstrates their efficacy and relative cost-effectiveness. However, assessing total potential gains and burden from providing all treatment interventions or varying the mix of heroin treatments has never been attempted. Furthermore, the need to include multiple treatments, multiple …