Effect Of Activated Carbon On The Performance Of A Solar Thermal Adsorptive Refrigerator (Star) Using Activated Carbon-Ethanol, Joshua Romo

Honors Theses

The Solar Thermal Adsorptive Refrigerator (STAR) project at the University of Dayton seeks to bridge sustainability and the need for reliable refrigeration in developing communities. Cost-effective construction, operation, and maintenance as well as the use of a sustainable adsorption pair, activated carbon-ethanol, give STAR great potential in the realm of humanitarian engineering. This project explores the effect of using two activated carbon brands, 8x16 and CocoPlus, on the cyclic performance of the STAR system. Although both brands have similar specifications given by the manufacturer, one (8x16) inhibited successful performance while the other (CocoPlus) enabled it. This project highlights both the …

Machine Learning Solution To Organ-At-Risk Segmentation For Radiation Treatment Planning, Brie Goo, Katrina May, Haobo Zhang, James Olivas

Interdisciplinary Design Senior Theses

In the treatment of cancer using ionizing radiation, it is important to design a treatment plan such that dose to normal, healthy organs is sufficiently low. Today, segmentation requires a trained human to carefully outline, or segment, organs on each slice of a treatment planning computed tomography (CT) scan but it is laborious, time-consuming, and contains intra- and inter-rater variability. Currently, existing clinical automation technology relies on atlas-based automation, which has limited segmentation accuracy. Thus the auto-segmentations require post process editing by an expert. In this paper, we propose a machine learning solution that shortens the segmentation time of organs-at-risk …

Computational Characterization Of The Cellular Origins Of Electroencephalography, Shane Hesprich

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Electroencephalography (EEG) is a non-invasive technique used to measure brain activity. Despite its near ubiquitous presence in neuroscience, very little research has gone into connecting the electrical potentials it measures on the scalp to the underlying network activity which generates those signals. This results in most EEG analyses being more macroscopically focused (e.g. coherence and correlation analyses). Despite the many uses of macroscopically focuses analyses, limiting research to only these analyses neglects the insights which can be gained from studying network and microcircuit architecture. The ability to study these things through non-invasive techniques like EEG depends upon the ability to …

Estimation Of Arterial Wall Parameters Via Model-Based Analysis Of Noninvasively Measured Arterial Pulse Signals, Dan Wang

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation presents a model-based method for estimating arterial wall parameters from noninvasively measured arterial pulse signals via a microfluidic-based tactile sensor. The sensor entails a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microstructure embedded with 5×1 transducer array built on Pyrex/Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. The arterial pulse causes a time-varying deflection on the top of the PDMS microstructure, which registers as a resistance change by the transducer at the site of the artery.

Owing to the time-harmonic nature of its radial motion, the arterial wall is modeled as a second-order dynamic system. By combining this dynamic model with a hemodynamic model of blood flow, …

A Deep Learning Approach To Detect Diabetic Retinopathy In Fundus Images., Winston R. Furtado

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Diabetic retinopathy is a disease caused due by complications of diabetes mellitus which can lead to blindness. About 33% of the US population with diabetes also show symptoms for diabetes retinopathy. If not treated, diabetic retinopathy worsens over time by progressing through two main pathological stages of non-proliferative and proliferative and four clinical stages. While the diagnostic accuracy of detecting diabetic retinopathy through machine learning have shown to be successful for OCT images, the accuracy of ultra-widefield fundus images have yet to be fully reported. This paper describes a method to non-invasively detect and diagnose diabetic retinopathy from ultra-widefield …

Suture-Less Trocar Site Closure Clip, Hares A. Patel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Following laparoscopic surgery, there is a need, in many cases, to close trocar sites to prevent hernias. Currently, devices that exist on the market are suture based, but the lack of standardization in the suturing techniques together with the time-consuming nature of the procedure leads to the need for improvement in trocar site closure products. Trocar closure sites do not need to be fully closed on the fascial layer; rather, sufficiently blocking the hole at the abdominal wall can significantly reduce post-operative herniation. A retrospective study on trocar site herniation (TSH) after laparoscopic surgery indicates a TSH incidence …

Analysis Of Cellular Interactions Within A Collagen Hydrogel, Austin N. Worden

Theses and Dissertations

Evidence has arisen over the past several years that use of a three- dimensional (3D) culture system provides a distinct advantage over two- dimensional (2D) systems when cellular interactions are examined in a more natural environment. Changes in morphology, speed, and directionality of cells tested in both planar and 3D matrices have all demonstrated that using 3D system is advantageous. The changes to the cellular migration patterns were shown to be dependent on several variables within the surrounding substrate including cellular content, physical environment, and the matrix chemical milieu. We have taken advantage of using collagen hydrogels as a 3D …

Role Of P-Glycoprotein In Alzheimer’S Disease For Enhanced Brain Elimination Of Amyloid-Β, Hope Holt

Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common form of neurodegenerative disorder, is characterized by deposition of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques in the brain. Aβ monomer undergoes nucleation to form oligomers, then soluble aggregates, then fibrils which make up the plaques. Aβ oligomer species are believed to be the most neurotoxic aggregate species. Currently under investigation is a mechanism for Aβ removal from the brain, across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is a membrane-bound efflux protein located on the apical, or blood, side of the BBB, which transports a wide variety of substrates. Further complicating this potential clearance mechanism is the reduction …

Rage Expression And Inflammation In Alzheimer’S Disease: In Vitro Model Development And Investigation Of A Potential Peptoid Inhibitor, Lauren Michell Wolf

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the increasing prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), efforts to establish a definitive treatment or cure have met with little success. Many previous therapeutic strategies for AD have focused on the aggregation and accumulation of amyloid-b (Ab) in the brain, concentrating on its small intermediate aggregates as the primary targets to ameliorate neurotoxicity and damage. This approach has yielded little progress, and more recent discussions have shifted to strategies geared toward a multifaceted pathology, with chronic neuroinflammation emerging as an important factor in the disease etiology and progression.

The receptor for advanced glycation end-products, or RAGE, is …

Three-Dimensional Collagen Tubes For In Vitro Modeling, Rebecca Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Collagen type I represents a novel material for three-dimensional in vitro models. While two-dimensional models are typically inadequate for recreating the complex processes of the body, collagen provides a three-dimensional basis with a variety of applications, including remodeling of vascular cells under tension and vascular stenosis. Smooth muscle cells reorganize and reconstruct their environment differently under conditions of tensions, such as with sutures, or under conditions without applied external tension. Vascular stenosis, the abnormal narrowing of blood vessels, arises from defective developmental processes or atherosclerosis-related adult pathologies. Stenosis triggers a series of adaptive cellular responses that induces adverse remodeling, which …

3d-Printed Culture Plate Insert With Agarose Barrier For The Evaluation Of Stem-Cancer Cell Signaling., Erika M. Lewis

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Experimental Study Of Free-Solution Separation Under Pulsed Electrophoresis In Microchip, Xin Liu

Theses and Dissertations

Microchip electrophoresis (MCE) is a promising analytical tool started more than two decades. With the characteristics of short analysis time, trace level sample, high- throughput and easily integration, lots of efforts have been done with the transportation of the applications from capillary to microfabricated devices. However, with the complex designs on microchip rather than a single straight capillary channel, the strategies and approaches have to be figured out under the challenges of sample introduction, the improvement of separation conditions and the detection, for instance.

In miniaturized microchip, the separation channel is reduced to several centimeters or less, fast and quality …

Estimating Cognitive Workload In An Interactive Virtual Reality Environment Using Electrophysiological And Kinematic Activity, Christoph Tremmel

Biomedical Engineering Theses & Dissertations

As virtual reality (VR) technology continues to gain prominence in commercial, educational, recreational and research applications, there is increasing interest in incorporating physiological sensors in VR devices for passive user-state monitoring to eventually increase the sense of immersion. By recording physiological signals such as the electroencephalogram (EEG), electromyography (EMG) or kinematic parameters during the use of a VR device, the user’s interactions in the virtual environment could be adapted in real time based on the user’s cognitive state. This dissertation evaluates the feasibility of passively monitoring cognitive workload via electrophysiological and kinematic activity while performing a classical n-back task in …

The Effect Of Defects And Surface Modification On Biomolecular Assembly And Transport, Haneen Martinez

Nanoscience and Microsystems ETDs

Nanoscale transport using the kinesin-microtubule (MT) biomolecular system has been successfully used in a wide range of nanotechnological applications including self-assembly, nanofluidic transport, and biosensing. Most of these applications use the ‘gliding motility geometry’, in which surface-adhered kinesin motors attach and propel MT filaments across the surface, a process driven by ATP hydrolysis. It has been demonstrated that active assembly facilitated by these biomolecular motors results in complex, non-equilibrium nanostructures currently unattainable through conventional self-assembly methods. In particular, MTs functionalized with biotin assemble into rings and spools upon introduction of streptavidin and/or streptavidin-coated nanoparticles. Upon closer examination of these structures …

Deswelling Induced Morphological Changes In Dual Ph And Temperature Responsive Ultra-Low Crosslinked Poly (N-Isopropyl Acrylamide)-Co-Acrylic Acid Microgels, Molla R. Islam, Maddie Tumbarello, L. Andrew Lyon

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) microgels prepared without exogenous cross-linker are extremely “soft” as a result of their very low cross-linking density, with network connectivity arising only from the self-crosslinking of pNIPAm chains. As a result of this extreme softness, our group and others have taken interest in using these materials in a variety of bioengineering applications, while also pursuing studies of their fundamental properties. Here, we report deswelling triggered structural changes in poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid) (ULC10AAc) microgels prepared by precipitation polymerization. Dynamic light scattering suggests that the deswelling of these particles not only depends on the collapse of …

Develop A 3d Neurological Disease Model Of Human Cortical Glutamatergic Neurons Using Micropillar-Based Scaffolds, Cheng Chen, Xin Dong, Kai-Heng Fang, Fang Yuan, Yao Hu, Min Xu, Yu Huang, Xixiang Zhang, Danjun Fang, Yan Liu

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Establishing an effective three-dimensional (3D) in vitro culture system to better model human neurological diseases is desirable, since the human brain is a 3D structure. Here, we demonstrated the development of a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) pillar-based 3D scaffold that mimicked the 3D microenvironment of the brain. We utilized this scaffold for the growth of human cortical glutamatergic neurons that were differentiated from human pluripotent stem cells. In comparison with the 2D culture, we demonstrated that the developed 3D culture promoted the maturation of human cortical glutamatergic neurons by showing significantly more MAP2 and less Ki67 expression. Based on this 3D culture …

(Poster) Design And Fabrication Of A Custom Wrist Orthosis For Enhanced Patient Comfort, Marko Tasic, Matthew Hansen, Mang Lian, Demetre Mitchell, Rashedul Sarker, Renny Fernandez, Erin Peterson, Joseph Herzog, David Olawale, Najmus Saqib

ASEE IL-IN Section Conference

This custom wrist orthosis project is the continuation of efforts made by students in the R.B Annis School of Engineering during the 2017-2018 academic year. Throughout this project, we have implemented the Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) methodology to guide the design process. Within the R.B. Annis School of Engineering, this methodology has been adapted into guide the DesignSpine process. We have designed a new orthosis that is custom fabricated for enhanced patient comfort. In the occupational therapy field, patients have reportedly not been wearing their prescribed orthoses/braces, which are designed to stabilize injured areas so that they heal properly. …

Analysis Of The Effect Of Corrosion On The Surface Chemistry Of Mild Steel Exposed To Biofuel, Timothy D. Plourde

Theses and Dissertations

The use of biofuels in society is steadily becoming more prevalent. Through this proliferation a concern regarding the role of the fungus Byssochlamys nivea in microbially induced corrosion has surfaced. Through the use of X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) technology, this thesis focused on attempting to determine what effect, if any, Byssochlamys nivea has on the corrosion of mild steel. For this analysis, samples were placed in environments that simulated the conditions of fuel tanks containing the biofuel B20, water, and spores of Byssochlamys nivea for varying lengths of time. However, due to a variety of …

Identification Of New Glutamate Decarboxylases From Streptomyces For Efficient Production Of Γ-Aminobutyric Acid In Engineered Escherichia Coli, Haina Yuan, Hongbo Wang, Ozkan Fidan, Yong Qin, Gongnian Xiao, Jixun Zhan

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Background

Gamma (γ)-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) as a bioactive compound is used extensively in functional foods, pharmaceuticals and agro-industry. It can be biosynthesized via decarboxylation of monosodium glutamate (MSG) or L-glutamic acid (L-Glu) by glutamate decarboxylase (GAD; EC4.1.1.15). GADs have been identified from a variety of microbial sources, such as Escherichia coli and lactic acid bacteria. However, no GADs from Streptomyces have been characterized. The present study is aimed to identify new GADs from Streptomyces strains and establish an efficient bioproduction platform for GABA in E. coli using these enzymes.

Results

By sequencing and analyzing the genomes of three Streptomycesstrains, …

Review Of Educational Technology: Closing The Gap Between Modern Technology And The College Engineering Classroom, David Pinkerton, Krishna Pakala

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper aggregates information from past and current studies regarding the implementation of technology in engineering classrooms and identifies the most promising ideas, technologies, and techniques. This paper provides insight into best practices for implementing technologies to improve the education of engineering students. This paper provides recommendations to adopt non-traditional teaching methods. Educational tools and techniques are evaluated on the basis of: Adoption and Assimilation, Access, Community, Intellectual Presence, Student Perception, and Development of Social and Professional Skills. Best practices are highlighted with descriptions of the technologies and techniques that were found most promising.