Digital Commons Network^™

Magnetic Nanoparticles Tethered With Zn–Dpa For The Removal Of Bacteria From Red Blood Cell Suspension, Tochukwu P. Okonkwo, Rajendra P. Gautam, Jacob B. Limburg, Breckin L. Forstrom, Bowen J. Houser, Aaron Rappleyea, Tyler P. Green, Joseph P. Talley, Alexander D. Daum, Stacey J. Smith, Karine Chesnel, William G. Pitt, Roger G. Harrison

Faculty Publications

Bacterial infections continue to drive the need for more effective and rapid methods for bacterial analysis. To address this, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have emerged as promising tools, especially when their surfaces are modified with bacteria binders. The bis-zinc–dipicolylamine (Zn–DPA) complex is known for its broad affinity to bacteria. We have synthesized MNPs via a thermal decomposition method, encapsulated them in silica, modified their surface with Zn–DPA, and tested their ability to remove bacteria. The MNPs retain their superparamagnetic properties and crystallite structure after being encapsulated. The MNPs coated with silica and Zn–DPA effectively bind and remove both Gram-positive and Gram-negative …

A Pilot Study On Tissue Deformation Using An Integrated Sensor–Actuator Blood Collection Setup In Aquaculture (Salmo Salar), Ishrak Siddiquee, Md Ebne Al Ashad, Ahmed Hasnain Jalal

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

This pilot study presents a sensor–actuator setup designed to evaluate tissue deformation in Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) during needle insertion. The system integrates three types of low-cost, commercially available force sensors to capture force profiles and identify biomechanical events associated with tissue layer transitions. Controlled insertions were performed on a deceased specimen, and the resulting force data were analyzed to quantify insertion dynamics and estimate tissue deformation. A simulation model based on the recorded force values was developed to calculate stress distribution and deformation, which ranged from 0.001 µm to 8.4 µm and from 0.3 N/m2 to 4.9 N/m2, respectively. …

Clinic Vs. Daily Life Gait Characteristics In Patients With Spinocerebellar Ataxia, Vrutangkumar V. Shah, Daniel Muzyka, Adam Jagodinsky, Hannah Casey, James Mcnames, Mahmoud El-Gohary, Kristen Sowalsky, Delaram Safarpour, Patricia Carlson-Kuhta, Fay B. Horak, Christopher M. Gomez

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background:

Recent findings suggest that a single gait assessment in a clinic may not reflect everyday mobility.ObjectiveWe compared gait measures that best differentiated individuals with spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) from age-matched healthy controls (HC) during a supervised gait test in the clinic vs. a week of unsupervised gait during daily life.

Methods: Twenty-six individuals with SCA types 1, 2, 3, and 6, and 13 (HC) wore three Opal inertial sensors (on both feet and lower back) during a 2-minute walk in the clinic and for seven days in daily life. Seventeen gait measures were analyzed to investigate the group differences using …

Progressive Insights Into 3d Bioprinting For Corneal Tissue Restoration, Ilayda Namli, Deepak Gupta, Yogendra Pratap Singh, Pallab Datta, Muhammad Rizwan, Mehmet Baykara, Ibrahim T. Ozbolat

Michigan Tech Publications

The complex architecture of the cornea, characterized by specifically organized collagen fibrils and distinct cellular layers, poses significant challenges for traditional tissue engineering strategies to replicate its native function. 3D Bioprinting offers a promising solution by enabling the precise, layer-by-layer fabrication of corneal tissues, closely mimicking the essential characteristics needed for vision restoration and long-term graft success. This Review critically examines the key biomechanical, optical, and structural attributes of the cornea necessary for its effective engineering and accurate 3D bioprinting. It provides a comprehensive overview of different 3D bioprinting modalities utilized for corneal tissue engineering and offers insights into potential …

The Fate Of Intra- And Extracellular Antibiotic Resistance Genes Through Advanced Wastewater Treatment Process, Celestene Adrianne Sebag

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

More areas across the globe are becoming affected by water stress or water scarcity. The decrease in available freshwater due to overconsumption reveals the direct need to consider other sources for necessities such as drinking water or food production. Agricultural irrigation uses 70% of the world’s freshwater, making the focus on safe and reliable reclaimed water for agricultural reuse imperative. However, contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), such as antibiotics and their resulting antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), can spread and affect human health if reclaimed water is not treated to the proper level. Antibiotics are widely used in human medicine and …

Prosthetics In The Time Of Proust, Ashley S. Mcguire

Patent Coloring Books

Patent coloring book

Optimizing Object Detection For Remote Monitoring With Owl Ducklink Radios, Colin Ren-Jin Babian

Electrical Engineering

This project develops an AI powered object detection system integrated with OWL DuckLink radios to enable real time remote monitoring. The system benchmarks multiple AI accelerators using a Raspberry Pi 5 to determine their efficiency in low power, long range communication environments. By evaluating the Raspberry Pi 5 CPU (7.62W, 14.5 camera FPS, 3.8 inference FPS), Raspberry Pi AI Camera with Sony IMX500 (6.45W, 30 camera FPS, 9.2 inference FPS), and Raspberry Pi AI Hat with Hailo-8L chipset (7.80W, 30 camera FPS, >30 inference FPS), this project identifies the most effective combination of hardware and software for edge AI applications. …

A Tailored Analog-To-Digital Converter Architecture For Optimal Performance In Troponin Cardiac Protein Detection, Karem Abdelgawad, Sameh O. Abdellatif

Electrical Engineering

In recent years, the detection of troponin cardiac proteins has emerged as a crucial component in the diagnosis and management of acute coronary syndromes. This paper presents a tailored analog-to digital converter(ADC) architecture specifically designed to enhance the performance of diagnostic systems for troponin detection. Utilizing a 180 nm CMOS process technology, the developed 8-bit Successive Approximation Register(SAR) ADC integrates key components, including a preamplifier, comparator, and a digital-to-analog converter(DAC), to optimize signal processing and ensure accurate data conversion from analog to digital formats. The ADC architecture is evaluated for its ability to achieve a substantial sampling rate of 10 …

Systematic Hazard Analysis Of Flare System Nodes In Chemical Process Safety, Hayder A. Alhameedi, Athmar A. Alzubaidi, Joseph D. Smith, Doug Allen, Saud Aldawood, Paul Ani

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Multidimensional consequences may arise from an accident in the flare system of any chemical or petrochemical plant due to the improperly managed flare system, which can lead to the presence of the toxic and flammable gases. The Hazard and Operability Study (HAZOP) is a systematic method used to assess and identify risks that can occur during operation, ensuring risk reduction and the safety of using equipment or units. This study aims to apply the HAZOP technique to identify the hazards associated with the gas flaring process in an air-assisted flare. The air-assisted flare system was subdivided into four sections (nodes), …

Preliminary Investigation Of The Potential Health Risks Of Non-Formfitting Body Armor With A Focus On Female Warfighters, Melissa Sutter, Catherine E. Johnson

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Introduction Body armor is an important piece of protective equipment for warfighters in battlefield environments. With more women now filling military roles, body armor designs may need to be further refined to accommodate the female anatomy instead of the male-based unisex designs. Unisex designs have been found to have negative effects on female warfighter performance, resulting in discomfort, breathing difficulty, and air gaps forming between the armor and torso. This study aimed to investigate increased injury risk because of air gaps from shock wave exposure on warfighters wearing nonform-fitting armor and the influence of material properties. Based on literature, lowered …

Exploring The Adoption Of Construction Technologies In Infrastructure Projects: Bridging Perceptions Of Experts With Real Project Data, Fareed Salih, Islam H. El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Infrastructure projects have progressively adopted construction technologies, yet previous studies have not fully explored technology utilization by comparing the perceptions of experts with actual project data. This research fills this knowledge gap. The authors (1) developed, distributed, and collected a survey completed by 52 construction practitioners to investigate the use of these technologies and their associated benefits; (2) checked the survey reliability and validity using Cronbach's alpha test; (3) investigated the perceptions of utilizing construction technologies across industry sectors; (4) explored the perceptions of benefits across industry sectors; (5) analyzed the impact of construction technologies on project objectives and phases …

Text-Based Propaganda Detection, Vivek Sharma

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In the digital age, the swift consumption of news and the widespread dissemination of propaganda significantly threaten democratic principles and informed decision-making. News organizations, often aligned politically, tailor their content to appeal to specific audiences, thereby perpetuating biases. Despite advancements in detecting propaganda through various computational techniques, including Large Language Models(LLM) and BERT-based approaches, significant challenges persist concerning data availability and the effectiveness of detection tools. This thesis explores the landscape of text-based propaganda and reviews related research in textual analysis. It introduces a novel method for collecting a social-media based dataset, which includes analysis of journalists' tweets to discern …

Temporal Evolution Of Workforce Fatality-Linked Factors In The Transportation Construction Sector, Mariam Elazhary, Islam H. El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Despite advancements in safety measures, fatalities in the transportation sector remain disproportionately higher than in other industries. Transportation sector fatalities arise from a combination of demographic, environmental, and occupational factors that amplify the overall risk. While strides have been made in understanding the factors contributing to fatalities, there remains a critical gap in research focused on their temporal evolution. The goal of this study is to investigate the temporal evolution of fatality-linked association factors in the transportation construction sector. The methodology encompassed three stages. Stage 1 was preprocessing the data: the US Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, covering 3,792 fatality …

Labor Productivity Losses Across Construction Trades: A Machine Learning Approach, Tamima Elbashbishy, Islam H. El-Adaway

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Labor productivity is a major concern in the construction industry. Existing research on construction labor productivity (CLP) within specific trades has produced inconsistent findings due to differences in the factors analyzed. This lack of consistency makes it difficult to identify the most critical drivers of productivity losses across trades. To address this gap, this study adopts a cross-trade analytical approach to systematically identify and evaluate the inefficiencies impacting labor productivity in multiple construction trades. Specifically, the study (1) identified common organizational and project-level inefficiencies that influence labor performance; (2) conducted an expert-based survey to measure the frequency and perceived impact …

Navigating Barriers: Examining Social Equality Through Transportation Disadvantages And Perceived Healthcare Accessibility In South Carolina, Yihong Ning, Songyuan Deng, Yuche Chen

Faculty Publications

Transportation inequities significantly contribute to health disparities, particularly in socially and geographically diverse regions like South Carolina. Prior research predominantly relied on objective measurements, like travel time or distance, to assess healthcare accessibility. However, limited attention has been given to the subjective perceptions of transportation barriers. To address this gap, we designed a comprehensive survey consisting of 61 questions (including 32 five-point Likert-scale items) capturing demographic, socioeconomic, and travel behavior data from a diverse sample of South Carolina residents. Urban and rural contexts were distinguished using county categorization and built environment measures. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was employed to identify …

Lung Injury Risk Curves From Behind Armor Blunt Trauma Using A Live Swine Model, Narayan Yoganandan, Lewis Somberg, Danielle Wilson, Alok Shah, Jared Michael Koser, Brian D. Stemper, Valeta Carol Chancey, Joseph Mcentire

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Introduction

From structural, anatomical, and functional perspectives, components of the thoracoabdominal region are heterogeneous and physiologically and functionally different. Although their tolerances to injury are expected to be different, the current Roma Plastilina No. 1 clay penetration criterion for behind armor blunt trauma (BABT) is not specific to the body region. It is important to develop regional injury criteria to ensure its specificity. The objective of the study is to conduct impact tests on the lung region using a live animal model and develop injury risk curves using velocity and deflection metrics via parametric survival analysis.

Materials and Methods

Live …

Case Article—Optimizing Transportation And Equity In A District Zoning Problem For Orville Public Schools, Kelly M. Sullivan, Ashlea Bennett Milburn

Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

“Optimizing transportation and equity in a district zoning problem for ORville public schools” is a case developed to expose students to an optimization decision problem with ethical considerations incorporated. Specifically, students are asked to solve a school district zoning problem in which all residential addresses in a school district must be assigned to middle schools having capacity limits on the numbers of students that they can accommodate.

Automation Of Lcmc Logistics Processes: A Delphi Approach, Kline M. Alt

Theses and Dissertations

As the U.S. Air Force confronts growing complexity in system acquisition, the implementation of digital models in system design and logistics process management allows the incorporation of digital tools and the possibility for automation of portions of logistics processes. This thesis investigates where these technologies can be most effectively integrated within the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center logistics enterprise (AFLCMC). Using a three round Delphi study, AFLCMC logistics subject matter expert (SME) opinions were solicited from program-level senior logisticians, program managers to identify high-need areas, key success factors, and potential barriers to adoption. Quantitative consensus from Likert-scale and ordinal …

Impacts Of Climate Disruption On Mobility Aircraft Performance In The Pacaf Region, Hannah M. Dauterman

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the projected impacts of climate disruption on the performance and fuel management of the C-17 Globemaster III, a critical mobility aircraft in the Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) region. As rising global temperatures reduce air density, the performance of aircraft is compromised, resulting in increased fuel consumption, as well as the potential for extended runway requirements and diminished cargo capacity. Using climate projection data from Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6), this research analyzes future air temperature trends and their implications for C-17 fuel consumption. Results suggest that by 2049, the U.S. Air Force may incur an …

Multi-Fidelity Machine Learning Modeling For Aerodynamic Response Prediction Of Aerospace Vehicles, Ethan S. Jackman

Theses and Dissertations

Hypersonic vehicle design requires understanding complex aerodynamic phenomena across the full flight regime. This study presents a novel MF surrogate modeling methodology that enables the prediction the full field response across a vehicle’s surface. A Space-Filling Curve (SFC) is used to convert unstructured data into 1D vectors. The a Convolutional Autoencoder is used with transfer learning to reduce the dimensionality of the data. An Emulator-Embedded Neural Network (E2NN) combines multi-fidelity data for fast, accurate predictions. A benchmark analytical example and hypersonic application are used to evaluate the methodology. Using various numbers of samples and sampling strategies it is found that …

Low-Resource Ecoacoustic Audio Classification, Enis Berk Coban

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Ecoacoustic monitoring via machine learning enables scalable analysis but is often constrained by labeled data scarcity, particularly in remote regions like the Arctic. This thesis confronts low-resource ecoacoustic audio classification by developing and evaluating complementary machine learning methodologies. We introduce EDANSA, the first publicly available, expert- labeled Arctic dataset of its kind, curated via novel active learning, alongside a baseline CNN. We systematically evaluate transfer learning, showing general audio embeddings effectively bootstrap classifiers for challenging Arctic sounds, significantly outperforming direct label mapping. Optimizing label utility, we investigate standard data augmentation and introduce novel audio data valuation via Shapley values, revealing …

The Floodnet Community Engagement Guide, Véronëque Ignace, Sofia Mariyamis, Kendra Krueger, Polly Pierone, Hayley Elszasz, Hannah Eisler Burnett

The Science and Resilience Institute at Jamaica Bay, SRIJB

"At the Intersection of Science, Policy, and Community: The FloodNet NYC Community Engagement Strategy” is a public-facing community engagement guide that documents the strategies, tools, and lessons developed through FloodNet NYC, a cross-sector partnership among researchers at NYU and CUNY and New York City agencies. Designed as a practical resource, this guide shares our approach to community engagement and dissemination so that researchers, practitioners, community organizations, and public agencies can adapt these methods to their own urban climate science projects and other community-centered efforts that address climate challenges.

Grounded in community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles, the guide presents community engagement …

Ibi-Dt: A Novel Approach Combining Individualized Bayesian Inference And Decision Tree For Identifying Cancer Drivers And Their Interactions, Md Asad Rahman, Gregory F. Cooper, Jinying Zhao, Xinghua Lu, Jinling Liu

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Cancer is mainly caused by a relatively small portion of somatic genome alterations (SGAs), called cancer drivers. Despite success in identifying a good number of cancer drivers, many more remain to be discovered to explain various cancers. Moreover, limited tools are available to identify potential interactions among cancer drivers for a better understanding of oncogenesis. To tackle these challenges, we have developed a novel approach called individualized Bayesian inference using a decision tree (IBI-DT). IBI-DT recognizes the genetic heterogeneity among cancer patients, where different individuals or patient subgroups of distinct genomic makeup may have different drivers. IBI-DT works by constructing …

Acoustic Emission Sensing For Assessing Compressive Strain In Impacted Thermoplastic Composites, M. M. Shahzamanian, Li Ai, Sydney Houck, Md Mushfiqur Rahman Fahim, Sourav Banerjee, Paul Ziehl

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Composite materials used in aircraft during in-flight service are vulnerable to impacts, which can lead to undetected damage and deterioration. Impact incidents can cause considerable structural harm that might not be immediately apparent, resulting in a decline in the mechanical properties of material and overall performance. There are currently limited advanced models capable of assessing the state of compressive strain (or stress) in a compression after impact (CAI) test based on acoustic emission (AE) data. Developing such a model may enable real-time monitoring and evaluation during in-flight service, providing users with alerts when composite material failure is approaching. This paper …

The Application Of Vetiver Grass In Natural Disaster Mitigation And Environmental Protection In Vietnam: A Bibliometric Analysis And Literature Review, Truc Phan, Tan Nguyen, Thang Pham, Bich T. Luong, Huong Nguyen

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides or Chrysopogon zizanioides) is a versatile tropical plant widely recognized for its applications in environmental protection and natural disaster mitigation. In Vietnam, where natural disasters such as floods and landslides are frequent, particularly along highways, Vetiver grass has proven to be an effective bioengineering solution. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the applications and benefits of Vetiver grass in preventing soil erosion and stabilizing slopes along Vietnam’s transportation systems. A bibliometric analysis of 555 Scopus-indexed publications (2000 – 2024) was conducted using VOSviewer software to identify research trends, key themes, and knowledge gaps. The findings …

A Comprehensive Review On The Recovery Of Lithium From Lithium-Ion Batteries And Spodumene, Asad Ali, Sadia Afrin, Abdul Hannan Asif, Yasir Arafat, Muhammad Rizwan Azhar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The growing demand for Lithium-Ion batteries (LIBs) for use within varied electronics and electric vehicles (EVs) has raised concerns about the sustainability of lithium extraction from natural deposits. This study provides a comprehensive comparison of lithium recovery through mining of spodumene deposits, and the recovery of lithium from used batteries via recycling, in terms of technological, economic and environmental impacts. Lithium recovered through mining and refining operations prompt significant land disruption and soil contamination and possess large ecological, water and carbon footprints. Contrastingly, lithium recovered through battery recycling undergoes successive heat and chemical treatments, leading to waste minimisation and a …

How Does The Sewer Microbiome Impact Wastewater Surveillance For Antibiotic Resistance?, Israel Adedayo Adeoye, Ishi Keenum

Michigan Tech Publications

Antibiotic resistance is a global health threat that is difficult to directly monitor prior to clinical presentation. Wastewater surveillance has emerged as a public health tool that could aid in identifying the community wide circulation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB), however this is complicated by the potential growth and decay of ARB within the sewer network. Sewer systems have been suggested as a primary place where sub-lethal doses of antibiotics are present with human and environmental adapted bacterial strains, however little is understood about what physiochemical properties might enhance or inhibit ARG propagation. Hence, key …

Large Language Models For Construction Risk Classification: A Comparative Study, Abdolmajid Erfani, Hussein Khanjar

Michigan Tech Publications

Risk identification is a critical concern in the construction industry. In recent years, there has been a growing trend of applying artificial intelligence (AI) tools to detect risks from unstructured data sources such as news articles, social media, contracts, and financial reports. The rapid advancement of large language models (LLMs) in text analysis, summarization, and generation offers promising opportunities to improve construction risk identification. This study conducts a comprehensive benchmarking of natural language processing (NLP) and LLM techniques for automating the classification of risk items into a generic risk category. Twelve model configurations are evaluated, ranging from classical NLP pipelines …

Incorporation Of E-Waste Plastics Into Asphalt: A Review Of The Materials, Methods, And Impacts, Sepehr Mohammadi, Dongzhao Jin, Zhongda Liu, Zhanping You

Michigan Tech Publications

This paper presents a comprehensive review of the environmentally friendly management and reutilization of electronic waste (e-waste) plastics in flexible pavement construction. The discussion begins with an overview of e-waste management challenges and outlines key recycling approaches for converting plastic waste into asphalt-compatible materials. This review then discusses the types of e-waste plastics used for asphalt modification, their incorporation methods, and compatibility challenges. Physical and chemical treatment techniques, including the use of free radical initiators, are then explored for improving dispersion and performance. Additionally, in situations where advanced pretreatment methods are not applicable due to cost, safety, or technical constraints, …

Proceedings Of The 33rd United States – Japan Bridge Engineering Workshop, David Y. Yang

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report summarizes the 33rd United States–Japan Bridge Engineering Workshop, an event that convenes bridge engineers from both countries. The workshop serves as a platform to exchange innovative ideas and technologies, as well as to share crucial knowledge and lessons learned, all with the aim of advancing bridge engineering. The 33rd workshop specifically addressed transportation asset management and seismic retrofitting, two subjects of increasing importance to both the United States and Japan. The report details the workshop's discussions on topics relevant to bridge engineers.