Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Development Of A Self-Cured Alkali-Activated Mortar, Kübra Ekiz Barış

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

Alkali-activated mortars (AAM) can be produced with self-curing (SC), which supplies internal moisture to accelerate alkaline-activation reactions. The aim of using SC is to make AAMs with an early-age strength without any additional curing energy consumption and higher CO2 emissions, and to obtain in-situ practical advantages that enable the large-scale application of AAMs. The previous study produced natural pozzolan-based AAMs by applying energy-intensive heat (HC), microwave (MWC), and hybrid (HC+MWC) curing. This study investigates alternative curing regimes that reduce production energy without compromising material properties. The impacts of air curing (AC), water curing (WC), and SC on the properties were …

Naoh Molarity Effect On Mechanical And Hydrochloric Acid Resistance Of Geopolymer Mortar Based On Slag, Mahmoud Ziada, Zahraa Mohammed Kamil Al-Mayali

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

The present research investigates the influence of different sodium hydroxide (NaOH) molarities on the mechanical characteristics and hydrochloric acid (HCl) resistance of geopolymer grouts manufactured from ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS). Geopolymer mortars have attracted interest as sustainable substitutes for traditional cementitious materials due to their advantageous environmental effects and enhanced durability features. This study involved the fabrication of geopolymer mortar specimens by altering the NaOH molarity (M) from 6 M to 14 M. The mechanical and physical qualities were assessed using compressive strength, capillary water absorption, flexural strength, slump flow, and ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) tests. Subsequently, the geopolymer …

Effect Of Expanded Perlite And Exfoliated Vermiculite Aggregate Additives On Water Vapor Permeability Performance Of Cement-Based Lightweight Mortars, Lütfullah Gündüz, Şevket Onur Kalkan

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

Vapor diffusion is the movement of water vapor molecules through porous materials such as wood, insulation products, and lightweight wall elements due to differences in vapor pressure. Vapor retarders are used to control vapor diffusion through wall sections and surfaces. All building materials provide some resistance to vapor diffusion, and the amount of resistance varies depending on the material's properties. These properties can vary with relative humidity and moisture content, age, temperature, and other factors. Vapor resistance is usually expressed using the inverse term of ``vapor permeability,'' which is the relative ease of vapor diffusion through a material. Water vapor …

Rubber-Modified Self-Compacting Mortar: Evaluating Setting Time And Strength Development, Navvar Makansi, Süleyman Ipek, Erhan Güneyisi

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

The influence of using crumb rubber (CR) obtained from the second scraping of used tires as fine aggregate in manufacturing self-compacting mortar (SCM) was investigated experimentally in this study. To explore this, natural fine aggregate in SCM mixes was partially replaced with CR at levels ranging from 5% to 25% by total fine aggregate volume. Two mix series, one with a total binder of 500 kg/m3 and the other with a 540 kg/m3 binder, were designed at water-to-binder ratios of 0.40 and 0.33. Ordinary Portland cement (80% by weight) and fly ash (20% by weight) were used to manufacture mortars. …

Smart Traffic Management At Intersections, Gezim Hoxha, Piotr Gorzelanczyk, Rame Likaj, Shaban Thaqi, Flori Cikaqi

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

Effective traffic control methods, whether at intersections or other nodes within the road network, play a critical role in ensuring traffic quality and safety. An inappropriate choice of traffic control techniques or poorly optimized light signal programming at intersections often leads to unsatisfactory service levels. This study specifically addresses the issues related to intersections controlled by traffic lights. It aims to identify the key factors influencing the regulation and programming of traffic lights, with a focus on using different microcontrollers, particularly the Raspberry Pi. The primary objective of this research is to develop a methodology and an adapted programming approach …

Identification Of Barriers And Drivers In The Adoption Of Sustainable Construction Practices In The Turkish Construction Industry: Exploratory Factor Analysis, Tülay Çivici, Mustafa Serhan Ünlütürk

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

Although the importance of sustainability in the construction industry has been emphasised by many researchers and endorsed by many authorities, it is clear that the practices in the industry still need to be improved. The primary issue for adopting sustainable practices in the construction industry is identifying the barriers and drivers. For this reason, the study analysed the literature to identify the critical barriers and incentives for adopting sustainable practices in the construction industry. In light of the information from the literature, the necessary barriers and motivators in adopting sustainable practices in the construction industry were determined, and a questionnaire …

Synergistic Effect Of Alccofine As Partial Replacement Of Cement And M-Sand As Sand Substitution In Concrete For The Assessment Of Mechanical And Microstructural Properties, Yellinedi Madhavi, R.S. Ravichandran, J. Saravanan, N. Venkatasairam Kumar

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

Using supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) and traditional binder mass has revolutionized concrete production technology in the building industry. This study examines how Alcofine-1203 affects the microstructure and mechanical characteristics of concrete. The mechanical qualities of the mixtures were evaluated using six different mixes prepared for each M25 and M40 Grade. In the proposed mixes, cement is substituted with alccofine at 0 to 25% and M-Sand as fine aggregate. The Compressive strength and ultrasonic pulse velocity were assessed after 3, 7, 14, 28, 56, and 90 days of curing, and split tensile strength and flexure strength were evaluated after 28 and …

Sustainable Modification Of Stone Column Technique With Polyethylene Terephthalate (Pet) Plastic For Strengthening The Expansive Clay, Ng Jun Shen, Muzamir Hasan

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

This research investigated the modification of stone column application by the association of PET plastic as a coarse aggregate material for sustainable material replacement. Clay soil improvement with a granular material fabricated column substantially affected its soil-bearing capacity. Subsequently, it avoided severe problems such as soil settlement and structural instability. Previous studies have mentioned the function and alteration of stone columns using materials like bottom ash and fly ash. Still, no attention has been paid to the utilization of PET plastic for this area. This study examined the feasibility and reliability of materials, PET plastic, and kaolin clay S300 before …

Effect Of Reinforcement Thickness And Content On The Properties Of Compressed Earth Blocks, Salah Eddine Mokeddem, Abdelmadjid Hamouine, Rabia Abdeldjebar, Atef Hamaidi

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

This study explores the mechanical, hygroscopic, and thermal behavior of stabilized and unstabilized compressed earth blocks (CEB) by incorporating date palm wood chips (DPWC) as a natural fiber additive. The investigation covers a range of DPWC thicknesses (1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm) and content variations (0% to 1% by weight), focusing on the interaction between the bio-based reinforcement and the stabilized soil matrix, which is stabilized with 10% white Portland cement. The mixtures were compressed at a pressure of 5 MPa using a hydraulic press, providing a detailed examination of how these parameters impact the structural integrity and functional …

Advancements In Refreshable Braille Display Technology: A Comprehensive Survey, Maryam Etezad, Rajeev Joshi, Franceli L. Cibrian

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

This paper provides a comprehensive mapping literature review of the advancements in refreshable Braille display (RBD) technology, which employs dynamically movable pins or dots to render Braille characters for individuals with blindness and visual impairment. This literature review, which includes 96 papers, aims to summarize the current evidence on six distinct types of RBDs: piezoelectric, electromagnetic, electroactive polymer (EAP), pneumatic, shape memory alloy (SMA), and microfluidic technologies. For each type, we discuss the underlying mechanisms, alongside the current trends and research opportunities. This comparative analysis aims to inform the selection of appropriate RBD technology based on specific user needs and …

A Smart System For Detecting Anatomic And Histological Symptoms Of Diseased Agricultural Plants, Rustam Baratov, Himola Sunnatillayeva, Alimardon Mamatovich Mustafoqulov

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

This study describes a novel agricultural plant disease detecting smart system, capable of handling measured plant body parameters and images received by high resolution camera at the same time. The proposed plant disease detection method is based on evaluation of the signals received by measured and controlled plant body physical parameters like resistance, temperature and capacitance of the plant stem and image processing. An analogue plant model based on an electrical circuit with distributed parameters was developed. In addition, in the article the block diagram of the smart system for the early detection of plant diseases, the circuit diagram, its …

Leveraging Genai For Biometric Voice Print Authentication, Erica Brooks, Lijo Jacob, Lani Lewis, Gaurav Mittal, Shivam Negi, Faizan Javed

SMU Data Science Review

This paper presents the development of a secure voice authentication system that delivers an inclusive solution for all users, including those with disabilities. Leveraging a Text-Dependent Active Verification process, the system combines a spoken passphrase with voice biometric coefficients and audio vector embeddings for reliable user verification. A vector database is used to efficiently store data and perform similarity retrieval. Initially, the system achieves a 71% spoof detection accuracy, ensuring that only genuine samples proceed to the embedding stage, where it attains a 55.21% accuracy in vector embedding and similarity retrieval. Furthermore, this approach paves the way for user-specific voice-controlled …

Direct Arp2/3-Vinculin Binding Is Required For Pseudopod Extension, But Only On Compliant Substrates And In 3d, Tadamoto Isogai, Kevin M. Dean, Philippe Roudot, Evgenia V. Azarova, Kushal Bhatt, Meghan K. Driscoll, Shaina P. Royer, Nikhil Mittal, Bo Jui Chang, Sangyoon J. Han, Reto Fiolka, Gaudenz Danuser

Michigan Tech Publications

A critical step in cell morphogenesis is the extension of actin-dense pseudopods, controlled by actin-binding proteins (ABPs). While this process is well-understood on glass coverslips, it is less so in compliant three-dimensional environments. Here, we knocked out a series of ABPs in osteosarcoma cells and evaluated their effect on pseudopod extension on glass surfaces (2D) and in collagen gels (3D). Cells lacking the longest Arp3 gene variant, or with attenuated Arp2/3 activity, had the strongest reduction in pseudopod formation between 2D and 3D. This was largely due to reduced activity of the hybrid Arp2/3-vinculin complex, which was dispensable on glass. …

Ex Vivo And Simulation Comparison Of Leakage In End-To-End Versus End-To-Side Anastomosed Porcine Large Intestine, Youssef Fahmy, Mohamed Trabia, Brian Ward, Lucas Gallup, Whitney Elks

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research

Anastomotic leaks after colorectal resection are serious surgical complications. We have compared the integrity of two common colorectal anastomosis techniques, end-to-side (ES) and end-to-end (EE), to control specimens using a novel experimental setup that mimics anastomotic air leak tests, which are typically performed during surgeries. Freshly harvested porcine colonic sections from 23 F1 cross-species pigs were used. Pressure measurements and video imaging were used to monitor the ex vivo experiments on EE, ES, and Control specimens. Using EE (n = 16), ES (n = 12), and Control (n = 22) specimens, leak pressure was 282.6 ± 3.0 mm Hg for …

Adsorption And Electron Transfer Of Metal-Reducing Decaheme Cytochrome Protein Mtrf On Iron Oxide Nanoparticle Surfaces, Jiahuiyu Fang, Pranab Sarker, Xiaoxue Qin, Shuting Zhang, Size Zheng, Tao Wei

Faculty Publications

Dissimilatory metal-reducing bacteria (DMRB) transfer electrons to extracellular metal oxides via a multiheme cytochrome network. Coupling DMRB with iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs) enables continuous redox processes for various applications such as bioremediation and bioenergy. The conformation of the terminal decaheme cytochrome MtrF on the surface critically influences electron transfer (ET) efficiency. In this work, we used molecular dynamics simulations and master equations to study MtrF adsorption on 3.6 and 6.0 nm α-Fe2O3 NPs and its steady-state ET in water. Our study shows that the heme cofactors can have strong electrostatic interactions with iron oxide NP surfaces, promoting protein adsorption and …

Advancing Novel Contrast Agents For Applications In Fluorescence-Guided Neurosurgery Using Fluorescence Cryotomography, Augustino Vittorio Scorzo

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Fluorescence guided surgery (FGS) is an emerging surgical technique that aims to help surgeons identify tissue types to assist in surgical decision making - ideally providing “cut-by-color” guidance. A primary application for this approach is the identification of tumor tissue to achieve more accurate and complete tumor removal while simultaneously minimizing damage to surrounding normal tissue. The cornerstone of tumor visualization for FGS is the administration of fluorescent contrast agents, or in some cases metabolic precursors, designed to accumulate specifically in tumor tissue, and a wide range of agents that use different targeting mechanisms are currently under investigation. Although these …

Mechanistic Insights Into The Flash Effect: The Role Of Oxygen And Radiation Chemistry In Ultra-High Dose Rate Radiation Therapy, Jacob Pierce Sunnerberg

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

The development of new cancer therapies focuses on widening the therapeutic ratio between tumor control and normal tissue toxicity. Over the last decade, ultra-high dose rate (UHDR) radiation therapy, commonly known as FLASH radiotherapy (FLASH-RT), has shown promising potential to reduce normal tissue toxicity while maintaining tumor control. However, the underlying mechanisms of the FLASH effect remain poorly understood. This thesis explores the radiation-chemical basis of FLASH-RT, focusing on the role of oxygen and reactive oxygen species in modulating biological outcomes.

A comprehensive set of in vitro studies demonstrated that UHDR delivery significantly alters radiation chemistry compared to conventional dose …

Image-Based Models For Left Heart Flow Morphodynamics In Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy, Abdelrahman A. Sultan

Theses and Dissertations

Relieving flow obstruction in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy is highly effective in reducing symptoms and promoting left ventricular remodeling. However, existing characteristics in the disease, such as the systolic anterior motion of the mitral, mitral regurgitation, and papillary muscle motion, and their effect on ventricular flow and vortex formation, have not been thoroughly addressed. This study aims to develop image-based computational fluid dynamics models to evaluate flow morphodynamics in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. A computational fluid dynamics model is constructed to investigate the interaction between inflow and outflow in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, with a focus on how the motion of the left …

Advances In Bone And Orthopedics 2025 – 5th Edition, Jean-Philippe Berteau, Laurent Pujo-Menjouet, Hélène Follet, Aurélie Levillain

Publications and Research

This volume brings together selected works from the 2025 Bone and Orthopedics Interdisciplinary Symposium (BONITOS), underscoring our community’s ongoing commitment to advancing research in biomechanics, bone health, and orthopedic science. The symposium unites leading experts from around the world, fostering collaboration and the exchange of ideas across disciplines. Organized in partnership with the French-speaking Society of Biomechanics, the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), the University of Lyon, the College of Staten Island of the City University of New York (CUNY), and the American Association of Physical Therapists (APTA) – Brooklyn Staten Island Chapter, BONITOS 2025 represents …

Computational Fluid Dynamics And Fluid Structure Interaction Modeling In Healthy Vertebral Arteries: A Comparative Study, Bryce Clinkenbeard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cerebral perfusion is critical for maintaining proper brain function, with each cerebrovascular artery playing an integral role in the overall cerebrovascular system. When these arteries become damaged or develop plaque, cardiovascular disease (CVDs) such as atherosclerosis can arise, leading to conditions like arterial stenosis. While CVDs are most prevalent in older individuals, they are also observed in young adults, particularly those engaged in high-endurance occupations such as military service. Diagnosis and prediction of CVDs often rely on imaging modalities supported by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) which account for low resolution in fluid flow. CFD models assume rigid arterial walls, which …