Digital Commons Network^™

Fermentation And Supercritical Extraction Studies Of Açaí Berry, Rosanna Iris Ayala

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The açaí berry has grown in popularity for dieters and the health conscious. The berry contains high levels of antioxidants. The main anthocyanins are cyanidin-3-rutinoside and cyanidin-3-glucoside. The berries also contain vitamins and nutrients that help boost energy and alertness, and fatty acids that help maintain normal cholesterol levels. As a result of the health benefits of the constituents, the berries are chosen for obtaining the active ingredients by extraction.

The solids left over after extraction still contain nutrients and useful components. There is a possibility of fermenting this residual and creating an açaí berry wine. Açaí berry wine is …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Doxorubicin Carrying Cetuximab-Pamam Dendrimer Bioconjugates, Gunjan Saxena

Theses and Dissertations

A tumor targeted dendrimer based drug delivery system was designed and synthesized to carry chemotherapy drug doxorubicin. Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer G4.5 was chosen as the underlying carrier. Anionic G4.5 is a good option for drug delivery as it consists of 128 surface groups, is less cytotoxic and favorably biodistributed. The delivery system was synthesized using a layer-by layer arrangement of three functional entities: chemotherapy drug doxorubicin, monoclonal antibody Cetuximab against EGF receptor, and polyethylene glycol (PEG). Doxorubicin was attached via an acid-sensitive hydrazon linkage to the dendrimer. Macromolecules are taken in by cells through endocytosis. pH inside the early endosomes …

Robust Self-Replication Of Combinatorial Information Via Crystal Growth And Scission, Rebecca Schulman, Bernard Yurke, Erik Winfree

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Understanding how a simple chemical system can accurately replicate combinatorial information, such as a sequence, is an important question for both the study of life in the universe and for the development of evolutionary molecular design techniques. During biological sequence replication, a nucleic acid polymer serves as a template for the enzyme-catalyzed assembly of a complementary sequence. Enzymes then separate the template and complement before the next round of replication. Attempts to understand how replication could occur more simply, such as without enzymes, have largely focused on developing minimal versions of this replication process. Here we describe how a different …

Scattering Phase Function Spectrum Makes Reflectance Spectrum Measured From Intralipid Phantoms And Tissue Sensitive To The Device Detection Geometry, S. C. Kanick, V. Krishnaswamy, U. A. Gamm, H. J.C.M Sterenborg, D. J. Robinson, A. Amelink, B. W. Pogue

Dartmouth Scholarship

Reflectance spectra measured in Intralipid (IL) close to the source are sensitive to wavelength -dependent changes in reduced scattering coefficient (μ_s′)and scattering phase function (PF). Experiments and simulations were performed using device designs with either single or separate optical fibers for delivery and collection of light in varying concentrations of IL. Spectral reflectance is not consistentl y linear with varying IL concentration, with PF -dependent effects observed for single fiber devices with diameters smaller than ten transport lengths and for separate source- detector devices that collected light at less than half of a transport length from the source. …

Segmentation And Fracture Detection In Ct Images For Traumatic Pelvic Injuries, Jie Wu

Theses and Dissertations

In recent decades, more types and quantities of medical data have been collected due to advanced technology. A large number of significant and critical information is contained in these medical data. High efficient and automated computational methods are urgently needed to process and analyze all available medical data in order to provide the physicians with recommendations and predictions on diagnostic decisions and treatment planning. Traumatic pelvic injury is a severe yet common injury in the United States, often caused by motor vehicle accidents or fall. Information contained in the pelvic Computed Tomography (CT) images is very important for assessing the …

Detection Of Sk2 Channels On Hippocampal Neurons, Jamie L. Maciaszek

Master's Theses

Calcium-activated small conductance potassium channels (SK) are crucial for synaptic plasticity, sleep, and learning and memory (Hammond, Bond et al. 2006; Cueni, Canepari et al. 2008; Lin, Lujan et al. 2008). Despite the recent progress on SK channel physiology, the precise spatial organization of SK channels in neurons has remained unknown. Such knowledge is critical as the subcellular distribution of SK channels is an important determinant of neuronal excitability. Currently, there are no techniques to image ion channel distribution quantitatively at the nanometer scale in living cells. Here, it is demonstrated that integration of natural toxins with single molecule atomic …

Sustainable Purchasing Practices: An Investigation Into Current Industry Awareness And Practice., Francis X. Palisi

Purdue Polytechnic Masters Theses

This research study illustrates the growing importance of sustainable purchasing practices and answers two important questions: what is the current awareness of U.S. organizations on sustainable purchasing practices with regards to evaluating, selecting, and retaining suppliers and to what extent are these practices being implemented? The research conducted is based upon an in-depth literature review of green purchasing and sustainability initiatives. With an ever increasing global economy with no intention of slowing down it is ever important to look towards sustainability practices and the biggest impact organizations can make is in the purchasing department. The researcher begins by explaining their …

Three Dimensional In Vitro Model Of Head And Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Anna Bulysheva

Theses and Dissertations

Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) are among the leading causes of cancer related deaths throughout the world. The survival rate for this type of cancer is extremely low and has not changed significantly in recent decades. There is an imperative need to study tumor progression in a representative model in order to generate more knowledge about this disease as well as develop more effective treatment options. Multiple methods already exist for studying HNSCC and other types of cancers, including in vitro and in vivo models. Although in vivo models are more representative of the human carcinomas in terms …

Drive-Amplitude-Modulation Atomic Force Microscopy: From Vacuum To Liquids, Miriam Jaafar, David Martinez-Martin, Mariano Cuenca, John Melcher, Arvind Raman, Julio Gomez-Herrero

Birck and NCN Publications

We introduce drive-amplitude-modulation atomic force microscopy as a dynamic mode with outstanding performance in all environments from vacuum to liquids. As with frequency modulation, the new mode follows a feedback scheme with two nested loops: The first keeps the cantilever oscillation amplitude constant by regulating the driving force, and the second uses the driving force as the feedback variable for topography. Additionally, a phase-locked loop can be used as a parallel feedback allowing separation of the conservative and nonconservative interactions. We describe the basis of this mode and present some examples of its performance in three different environments. Drive-amplutide modulation …

11th Annual Undergraduate Student Symposium, Farquhar Honors College

Undergraduate Student Symposium

The Undergraduate Student Symposium, sponsored by the Farquhar College of Arts and Sciences, presents student projects through presentations, papers, and poster displays. The event serves as a “showcase” demonstrating the outstanding scholarship of undergraduate students at NSU. The Symposium is open to undergraduate students from all disciplines. Projects cover areas of student scholarship ranging from the experimental and the applied to the computational, theoretical, artistic, and literary. They are taken from class assignments as well as from independent projects. The projects do not have to be complete; presentations can represent any stage in the concept’s evolution, from proposal and literature …

Wright State University Celebration Of Research, Scholarship And Creative Activities Book Of Abstracts Friday, April 13, 2012, Wright State University Office Of Undergraduate Research And Stemm Activities

Celebration of Undergraduate & Graduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities Materials

The student abstract booklet is a compilation of abstracts from students' oral and poster presentations at Wright State University's second annual Celebration of Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities on April 13, 2012.

Effects Of Manure Handling And Application Method On Odor And Gas Emission Potential Of Swine Manure, Rick R. Stowell

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Manure composition and emissions potential of swine manure were investigated in opposing contexts of desired and undesired methane generation. In the main study, the full-scale treatment effects of anaerobic digestion on the air emissions potential of swine manure were investigated. Manure slurry and digester effluent samples were collected from a pork production facility in eastern Nebraska that utilizes a complete-mix anaerobic digester to treat the manure and produce biogas for use in generating electricity. Samples were collected from three sites in the manure stream (below-barn pit, digester outlet, and holding pond) from 9/22/08 through 12/2/09 in order to observe changes …

2012 - The Seventeenth Annual Symposium Of Student Scholars

Symposium of Student Scholars Program Books

The full program book from the Seventeenth Annual Symposium of Student Scholars, held on April 10, 2012. Includes abstracts from the presentations and posters.

Space Science And Astrophysics Programs, Robert J. Twiggs

Robert "Bob" Twiggs STEM Education Collection

A PowerPoint presentation created by Professor Bob Twiggs titled "Space Science and Astrophysics Programs" from April 9, 2012.

Model-Based Systems And Methods For Analyzing And Predicting Outcomes Of Vascular Interventions And Reconstructions, Yuris A. Dzenis, Alexey Kamenskiy, Iraklis I. Pipinos, Jason N. Mactaggart

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Systems and methods for analyzing and predicting treatment outcomes of medical procedures such as vascular interventions and reconstructions are disclosed. An illustrative system for analyzing and predicting therapeutic outcomes of medical procedures comprises a relational database configured for classifying and storing patient specific input data for multiple patients, a fluid-solid interaction biomechanical model configured for performing a biomechanics simulation and generating biomechanics data, and a graphical user interface.

Assessing The Validity Of Brain Glucose Concentration Measurement Using Microdialysis, Damon Anthony Vinciguerra

Master’s Theses

Brain functions, such as learning, orchestrating locomotion, memory recall, and processing information, all require glucose as a source of energy. During these functions, the glucose concentration decreases as the glucose is being consumed by brain cells. By measuring this drop in concentration, it is possible to determine which parts of the brain are used during specific functions and consequently, how much energy the brain requires to complete the function. One way to measure in vivo brain glucose levels is with a microdialysis probe. The drawback of this analytical procedure, as with many steadystate fluid flow systems, is that the probe …

Getting It Right The First Time: Predicted Performance Guarantees From The Analysis Of Emergent Behavior In Autonomous And Semi-Autonomous Systems, Ronald C. Arkin, Damian M. Lyons, Shu Jiang, Prem Nirmal, Munzir Zafar

Faculty Publications

A crucially important aspect for mission-critical robotic operations is ensuring as best as possible that an autonomous system be able to complete its task. In a project for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) we are developing methods to provide such guidance, specifically for counter-Weapons of Mass Destruction (C-WMD) missions. In this paper, we describe the scenarios under consideration, the performance measures and metrics being developed, and an outline of the mechanisms for providing performance guarantees.

Engineering At San Jose State University, Spring 2012, San Jose State University, Charles W. Davidson College Of Engineering

Engineering at San Jose State University

No abstract provided.

Editorial Board Page

The Journal of Tennessee State University

No abstract provided.

Past To Present: School Of Allied Health Professions To College Of Health Sciences And Contributions To Health Improvement In The Local Community And Beyond, Mohamed Kanu, Ronald Barredo, Elizabeth Williams, Revlon Briggs

The Journal of Tennessee State University

No abstract provided.

Section Abstracts: Biomedical And General Engineering

Virginia Journal of Science

Abstracts of the Biomedical and General Engineering Section for the 90th Annual Meeting of the Virginia Academy of Science, May 23-25, 2012, Norfolk State University, Norfolk, Virginia.

Navigation Of Uncertain Terrain By Fusion Of Information From Real And Synthetic Imagery, Damian M. Lyons, Prem Nirmal, D. Paul Benjamin

Faculty Publications

We consider the scenario where an autonomous platform that is searching or traversing a building may observe unstable masonry or may need to travel over unstable rubble. A purely behaviour-based system may handle these challenges but produce behaviour that works against long-terms goals such as reaching a victim as quickly as possible. We extend our work on ADAPT, a cognitive robotics architecture that incorporates 3D simulation and image fusion, to allow the robot to predict the behaviour of physical phenomena, such as falling masonry, and take actions consonant with long-term goals.

We experimentally evaluate a cognitive only and reactive only …

How To Describe And Propagate Uncertainty When Processing Time Series: Metrological And Computational Challenges, With Potential Applications To Environmental Studies, Christian Servin, Martine Ceberio, Aline Jaimes, Craig Tweedie, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

Time series comes from measurements, and measurements are never absolutely accurate. Traditionally, when we deal with an individual measurement or with a sample of measurement results, we subdivide a measurement error into random and systematic components: systematic error does not change from measurement to measurement which random errors corresponding to different measurements are independent. In time series, when we measure the same quantity at different times, we can also have correlation between measurement errors corresponding to nearby moments of time. To capture this correlation, environmental science researchers proposed to consider the third type of measurement errors: periodic. This extended classification …

Department Of Biological Systems Engineering Newsletter, Volume 8, Number 1, April 2012

BSE Department Magazine

No abstract provided.

Numerical Simulation Of Nanopulse Penetration Of Biological Matter Using The Adi-Fdtd Method, Fei Zhu

Doctoral Dissertations

Nanopulses are ultra-wide-band (UWB) electromagnetic pulses with pulse duration of only a few nanoseconds and electric field amplitudes greater than 105 V/m. They have been widely used in the development of new technologies in the field of medicine. Therefore, the study of the nanopulse bioeffects is important to ensure the appropriate application with nanopulses in biomedical and biotechnological settings. The conventional finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method for solving Maxwell's equations has been proven to be an effective method to solve the problems related to electromagnetism. However, its application is restricted by the Courant, Friedrichs, and Lewy (CFL) stability condition that confines …

Science And Society: The Role Of Long-Term Studies In Environmental Stewardship, Charles T. Driscoll, Kathleen F. Lambert, F. Stuart Chapin, David J. Nowake, Thomas A. Spies, Frederick J. Swanson, David B. Kittredge, Clarisse M. Hart

Civil and Environmental Engineering - All Scholarship

Long-term research should play a crucial role in addressing grand challenges in environmental stewardship. We examine the efforts of five Long Term Ecological Research Network sites to enhance policy, management, and conservation decisions for forest ecosystems. In these case studies, we explore the approaches used to inform policy on atmospheric deposition, public land management, land conservation, and urban forestry, including decisionmaker engagement and integration of local knowledge, application of models to analyze the potential consequences of policy and management decisions, and adaptive management to generate new knowledge and incorporate it into decisionmaking. Efforts to enhance the role of long-term research …

Basic Capillary Microfluidic Chip And Highly Sensitive Optical Detector For Point Of Care Application, Mingjin Yao

Doctoral Dissertations

A cost-effective and highly sensitive portable diagnostic device is needed to enable much more widespread monitoring of health conditions in disease prevention, detection, and control. Miniaturized and easy-to-operate devices can reduce the inherent costs and inefficiencies associated with healthcare testing in central laboratories. Hence, clinicians are beginning to use point of care (POC) testing and flexible clinical chemistry testing devices which are beneficial for the patient.

In our work, a low-cost and simple autonomous microfluidic device for biochemical detection was developed. The pumpless capillary system with capillary stop valves and trigger valves is fabricated on a silicon (Si) wafer and …

Nebraska Blueprint – Spring/Summer 2012

Nebraska Blueprint (Student Publication)

Table of Contents:

From the Editor

Engi-Briefs

UCARE Experience – Interview with senior Computer Engineering major Dongpu Jin about his involvement with the Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experiences (UCARE) program

History of E-Week

E-Week 2012 Events and Results [photographs]

E-Week Keynote Speaker: Pete Ludovice

The Museum in Nebraska Hall – The research branch of the University of Nebraska State Museum

Nebraska Hall's 80th Birthday – A history of the building at 16th and W Streets

Do You Remember . . . The Day Reunion Died – A brief history and photographs of the demolition of the Reunion building across …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Hybrid Energy Harvesting Microdevices, Zhongcheng Gong

Doctoral Dissertations

In this dissertation, a hybrid energy harvesting system based on a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) and carbon nanotube film (CNF) cantilever structure has been designed, fabricated and studied. It has the ability to harvest light and thermal radiation energy from ambient energy and convert them to electricity.

The proposed micro-scale energy harvesting device consists of a composite cantilever beam (SU-8/CNF/Pt/PZT/Pt) which is fixed on a silicon based anchor and two electrode pads for wire bonding. The CNF acts as an antenna to receive radiation energy and convert it to heat energy and then transfer to the whole cantilever structure. The …

Impulse, Dana Hess, Kyle Johnson, Eric Landwehr

Impulse (Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering Publication)

College:
[Page] 2 The ceremony must go on: For the College of Engineering, at least, there still is a winter commencement.
[Page] 4 Delvin DeBoer: Thousands of students are thankful for a call Dwayne Rollag made to DeBoer in 1981.
[Page] 6 Lighting the way: In October 2011, Pavel Dutta completed the requirements to become the first graduate of the photovoltaics doctoral program. Two others soon followed him.
[Page] 9 Academic updates: News from software engineering, computer science, geospatial science and engineering, and computational science and statistics.
[Page] 10 Endowed professorship: Professor David Galipeau becomes the first to hold the …