Digital Commons Network^™

Preferential Flow Path Effects On Subsurface Contaminant Transport In Alluvial Floodplains, Derek M. Heeren, Ronald B. Miller, Gary A. Fox, Daniel E. Storm, Chad J. Penn, Todd Halihan

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

For strongly sorbing contaminants, transport from upland areas to surface water systems is typically considered to be due to surface runoff with subsurface transport assumed negligible. However, certain local conditions can lead to an environment where subsurface transport to streams may be significant, a source of contamination not alleviated by current best management practices (e.g. riparian buffers). The Ozark region, including parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri, is characterized by cherty, gravelly soils and gravel bed streams. Previous research identified a preferential flow path (PFP) at a field site along the Barren Fork Creek in northeastern Oklahoma. With the subsoils …

Pressure-Driven Transport Of Particles Through A Converging-Diverging Microchannel, Ye Ai, Sang W. Joo, Yingtao Jiang, Xiangchun Xuan, Shizhi Qian

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research

Pressure-driven transport of particles through a symmetric converging-diverging microchannel is studied by solving a coupled nonlinear system, which is composed of the Navier–Stokes and continuity equations using the arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian finite-element technique. The predicted particle translation is in good agreement with existing experimental observations. The effects of pressure gradient, particle size, channel geometry, and a particle’s initial location on the particle transport are investigated. The pressure gradient has no effect on the ratio of the translational velocity of particles through a converging-diverging channel to that in the upstream straight channel. Particles are generally accelerated in the converging region and then …

Design, Fabrication, And Implementation Of A Single-Cell Capture Chamber For A Microfluidic Impedance Sensor, Joshua-Jed Doria Fadriquela

Master's Theses

A microfluidic device was created for single-cell capture and analysis using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) channels and a glass substrate to develop a microfluidic single-cell impedance sensor for cell diagnostics. The device was fabricated using photolithography to create a master mold which in turn will use soft lithography to create the PDMS components for constant device production. The commercial software, COMSOLTM Multiphysics, was used to quantify the fluid dynamics in shallow micro-channels.

The device will be able to capture a cell and sequester it long enough to enable measurement of the impedance spectra that can characterize cell. The proposed device will be …

An Approach Based On Wavelet Decomposition And Neural Network For Ecg Noise Reduction, Suranai Poungponsri

Master's Theses

Electrocardiogram (ECG) signal processing has been the subject of intense research in the past years, due to its strategic place in the detection of several cardiac pathologies. However, ECG signal is frequently corrupted with different types of noises such as 60Hz power line interference, baseline drift, electrode movement and motion artifact, etc. In this thesis, a hybrid two-stage model based on the combination of wavelet decomposition and artificial neural network is proposed for ECG noise reduction based on excellent localization features: wavelet transform and the adaptive learning ability of neural network. Results from the simulations validate the effectiveness of this …

The Impact Of Lipid Percentage On Fibrous Cap Stability In Atherosclerotic Lesions, Anita Lorraine Crompton

Master's Theses

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a common cause of sudden cardiac death. Much of the disease is not completely understood, which makes treatment and prevention difficult. Many researchers are using technology, such as advanced imaging techniques and finite element analysis, to better understand the disease. While there is much progress being made to look at the analysis of actual excised diseased arteries, there is still not a standardized model to predict the future of any one lesion. The purpose of this study is to explore the possibility of creating a standardized model to predict the mechanical stability of the fibrous …

Preparation For Nerve Membrane Potential Readings Of A Leech, Laboratory Setup And Dissection Process, Jason Patrick Caulfield

Master's Theses

A well documented laboratory setup, leech preparation process, and bio-potential data recording process are needed. Repeatability and quality data recordings are essential and thus dictate the requirements of the laboratory setup and processes listed above. Advances in technology have both helped and hindered this development. While very precise equipment is required to record the low voltage bio-potentials, noisy electronic equipment and wires surrounding the work area provide high levels of interference. Proper laboratory setup and data recording processes, however, limit the unwanted interference. Quality data can only be recorded from a properly handled and prepared leech subject. Proper setup and …

Do Canines Experience The Effects Of Heart Rate Turbulence?, Melanie Ann Gurunathan

Master's Theses

Background

The canine cardiac system has been the model against which many Class III cardiac devices are validated. Thus, it is expected that the canine heart has very similar electrical model to that found in humans. In 1999, the absence of Heart Rate Turbulence (HRT) after a single Pre-Ventricular Contraction (PVC) was linked to high-risk patient after acute myocardial infarction. Studies of HRT were performed on high-risk patients with Holter-Monitors as were most subsequent HRT studies. If HRT could potentially be used as a risk factor of heart disease, it is interesting to study whether HRT is present following a …

Preparation And Characterization Of Electrospun Poly(D, L-Lactide-Co-Glycolide) Scaffolds For Vascular Tissue Engineering And The Advancement Of An In Vitro Blood Vessel Mimic, Tiffany Richelle Pena

Master's Theses

PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ELECTROSPUN POLY(D,L-LACTIDE-CO-GLYCOLIDE) SCAFFFOLDS FOR VASCULAR TISSUE ENGINEERING AND THE ADVANCEMENT OF AN IN VITRO BLOOD VESSEL MIMIC

Tiffany Richelle Peña

Currently, an estimated 1 in every 3 adult Americans are affected by one or more cardiovascular complications. The most common complication is coronary artery disease, specifically atherosclerosis. Outcomes of balloon angioplasty treatments have been significantly improved with the addition of drug eluting stents to the process. Although both bare metal and drug eluting stents have greatly increased the effectiveness of angioplasty and decreased the occurrence of restenosis, several complications still exist. For this reason, the stent …

Mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species Production In Excitable Cells: Modulators Of Mitochondrial And Cell Function, David F. Stowe, Amadou K.S. Camara

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

The mitochondrion is a major source of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Superoxide (O₂^•−) is generated under specific bioenergetic conditions at several sites within the electron-transport system; most is converted to H₂O₂ inside and outside the mitochondrial matrix by superoxide dismutases. H₂O₂ is a major chemical messenger that, in low amounts and with its products, physiologically modulates cell function. The redox state and ROS scavengers largely control the emission (generation scavenging) of O₂^•−. Cell ischemia, hypoxia, or toxins can result in excess O₂^•− production when the redox …

Demonstration Of Bias-Controlled Algorithmic Tuning Of Quantum Dots In A Well (Dwell) Midir Detectors, Woo-Yong Jang, Majeed M. Hayat, J. Scott Tyo, Ram S. Attaluri, Thomas E. Vandervelde, Yagya D. Sharma, Rajeev Shenoi, Andreas Stintz, Elizabeth R. Cantwell, Steven C. Bender, Sang Jun Lee, Sam Kyu Noh, Sanjay Krishna

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

The quantum-confined Stark effect in intersublevel transitions present in quantum-dots-in-a-well (DWELL) detectors gives rise to a midIR spectral response that is dependent upon the detector's operational bias. The spectral responses resulting from different biases exhibit spectral shifts, albeit with significant spectral overlap. A postprocessing algorithm was developed by Sakoglu that exploited this bias-dependent spectral diversity to predict the continuous and arbitrary tunability of the DWELL detector within certain limits. This paper focuses on the experimental demonstration of the DWELL-based spectral tuning algorithm. It is shown experimentally that it is possible to reconstruct the spectral content of a target electronically without …

Time-Mode Circuits For Analog Computation, Vishnu Ravinuthula, Vaibhav Garg, John G. Harris, José A.B. Fortes

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We introduce time-mode circuits, a set of basic circuit building blocks for analog computation using a temporal step function representation for the inputs and outputs. These novel time-mode circuits are low power, provide good noise performance and offer improved dynamic range. The design, IC implementation and detailed theoretical signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) analysis of a prototype time-mode circuit-a weighted average computation circuit-are discussed. This new way of computation is studied with respect to existing conventional voltage-mode and current-mode circuits. Two possible applications of these time mode circuits are presented: an edge detection circuit for 16 pixels and a 3-tap FIR filter …

A Rapid Method For Flow-Ready Cylindrical Microchannel Fabrication, Kimberly H. Henthorn

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Most current methods of microchannel fabrication are expensive and time consuming or result in noncylindrical channels, which is undesirable for many applications. A rapid inexpensive method for the fabrication of flow-ready cylindrical polymer microchannels from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is presented here. In this method, cylindrical needles are used as molds for the channels and also function as flow delivery devices after fabrication. Validation of channel function and smoothness can be accomplished by comparing experimental data to theoretical models. One model was previously developed by the author to predict the incipient motion of a glass sphere in contact with a perfectly smooth …

Sensorimotor Experience In Virtual Environments, Katherine Grace August

Dissertations

The goal of rehabilitation is to reduce impairment and provide functional improvements resulting in quality participation in activities of life, Plasticity and motor learning principles provide inspiration for therapeutic interventions including movement repetition in a virtual reality environment, The objective of this research work was to investigate functional specific measurements (kinematic, behavioral) and neural correlates of motor experience of hand gesture activities in virtual environments stimulating sensory experience (VE) using a hand agent model. The fMRI compatible Virtual Environment Sign Language Instruction (VESLI) System was designed and developed to provide a number of rehabilitation and measurement features, to identify optimal …

Clustered Wireless Sensor Networks, Renita Margaret Machado

Dissertations

The study of topology in randomly deployed wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is important in addressing the fundamental issue of stochastic coverage resulting from randomness in the deployment procedure and power management algorithms. This dissertation defines and studies clustered WSNs, WSNs whose topology due to the deployment procedure and the application requirements results in the phenomenon of clustering or clumping of nodes. The first part of this dissertation analyzes a range of topologies of clustered WSNs and their impact on the primary sensing objectives of coverage and connectivity. By exploiting the inherent advantages of clustered topologies of nodes, this dissertation presents …

Experimental Investigation Of Mixing Time In A Stirred, Torispherical-Bottomed Tank Equipped With A Retreat-Blade Impeller, Nonjaros Chomcharn

Theses

Glass-lined reactors are typically used in the pharmaceutical and specialty chemicals industries because of their material compatibility with most reactants and their cleanability. These reactors are typically equipped with a retreat-blade impeller placed close to the bottom of the tank a single baffle mounted from the top. The mixing performance of such reactors has not received significant attention in the literature, despite their ubiquitous presence in the pharmaceutical industry. In particular, mixing time, i.e., the time required by the system to achieve a predefined level of homogeneity, has not been studied to any significant degree.

In this work, the mixing …

Reliability Of Resting Brain Networks Using Fmri, Suril Rajeshkumar Gohel

Theses

Resting state FMRI studies on human subjects are primarily focused on elaborating effects of resting state brain networks on task induced paradigm and to check consistency of these networks between different groups of populations. Recent studies have shown consistency of RSFC networks within same subjects with intra-site and intra-session variation.

The primary objective of this study was to check consistency of resting state networks between sites and between different groups of people in spite of change in scanning parameters and population. A total of 437 subjects resting state FMRI data from six different sites were collected varying in age group …

An In Vitro Study To Characterize A New Automated High Throughput Neuronal Stretch Injury System, Nicolae Valerian Hususan

Theses

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the most prevalent long-term neurological conditions and its overall economic consequences rival that of stroke. Considering the importance of the topic, new models for studying TBI are often designed and created. Based on a model developed by the University of Pennsylvania, NJIT constructed a fully automated version, which injures neuronal cell cultures in uniaxial regime and provides the high experimental yield required in pharmaceutical and neuroscience studies.

In this investigation, a new methodology for culturing primary cortical neurons of rat origin was established. Viable cell cultures developed for the first time in NJIT …

Mixing Performance Of A Novel, Continuous Confined Impinging Jets Mixer Using Competitive Reactions, Han Zheng

Theses

In this work, a novel continuous flow apparatus featuring the impingement of fluid jet streams in the presence of ultrasonic energy provided by an ultrasonic probe was tested using competitive reactions in order to determine its mixing effectiveness. The ultrasonic energy enhances micromixing of the fluid jet streams, which results in an overall mixing effectiveness improvements in different physical and chemical processes.

In the competitive reactions system used here (third Bourne reaction), one stream containing sodium hydroxide was continuously fed to the first impinging jet, while an aqueous solution of hydrochloric acid and ethyl chloroacetate was fed to the second …

Development Of An Experimental System To Determine The Contribution Of Titin And Collagen To Passive Stiffness Of Myocardium, Saurin Bharat Shah

Theses

Diastolic dysfunction is known to be a major factor for congestive heart failure in aged humans and other mammals. The main contributors to increase in the myocardial stiffness, hindering the cardiac mechanics, are alterations in intracellular titin and extracellular collagen matrix. Titin is a giant extensible protein, the third filament of striated muscle after actin and myosin, which provides elasticity to passive sarcomeres. The aim of this study is to develop an efficient experimental system that will prove to be instrumental in comparing the contribution of titin against collagen to the passive stiffness of cardiac muscle extracted from experimental animals …

Device Considerations For Development Of Conductance-Based Biosensors, Kangho Lee, Pradeep R. Nair, Adina Scott, Muhammad A. Alam, David B. Janes

Birck and NCN Publications

Design and fabrication of electronic biosensors based on field-effect-transistor (FET) devices require understanding of interactions between semiconductor surfaces and organic biomolecules. From this perspective, we review practical considerations for electronic biosensors with emphasis on molecular passivation effects on FET device characteristics upon immobilization of organic molecules and an electrostatic model for FET-based biosensors.

Fiber Inline Core-Cladding-Mode Mach-Zehnder Interferometer Fabricated By Two-Point Co2 Laser Irradiations, Tao Wei, Xinwei Lan, Hai Xiao

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We report a fiber inline Mach-Zehnder-type core-cladding-mode interferometer fabricated by two-point CO2 laser irradiations on a single-mode fiber. the laser irradiations caused efficient light coupling from the core mode to the lower order cladding modes and vice versa. High-quality interference spectra with a fringe visibility of about 20 dB were observed for four different interferometer lengths (5, 10, 20, and 40 mm). the temperature sensitivity of the device with a length of 5 mm was measured to be 0.0817 nm/°C. the sensitivity for refractive index measurement of the device was comparable with a long-period fiber grating of LP04 cladding mode. …

Tobacco Mosaic Virus Templated Synthesis Of One Dimensional Inorganic-Polymer Hybrid Fibres, Jianhua Rong, Fiona Oberbeck, Xinnan Wang, Xiaodong Li, Jerry Oxsher, Zhongwei Niu, Qian Wang

Faculty Publications

Inorganic–polymer hybrid nanofibres were prepared by using a rod-like tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) as a template. With tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) as a precursor, long silica-coated TMVfibres were formed via a head-to-tail assembly, which showed a substantial increase of the elastic modulus. Furthermore, homogenous titania–TMV hybrid fibres could be prepared using polyaniline-coated TMV fibres as a template, which were used to form a composite film that was able to sense liquefied petroleum gases.

A Wireless Sensor Data Fusion Framework For Contaminant Detection, Joshua Kiepert, Sin Ming Loo

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

In recent years, much research has been done on wireless sensor networks and sensor data fusion, however there has been limited work regarding implementation of real systems that are capable of providing a highly connected sensor network for data logging and data fusion applications. This paper describes the design and implementation of a wireless, portable, and reconfigurable sensor network framework. This sensor node design has proven to be effective for monitoring environmental conditions of aircraft cabins and is well suited to environmental monitoring and detection of contaminants in large areas when utilizing sensor data fusion features.

The Effective Slip Length And Vortex Formation In Laminar Flow Over A Rough Surface, Anoosheh Niavarani, Nikolai V. Priezjev

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

The flow of viscous incompressible fluid over a periodically corrugated surface is investigated numerically by solving the Navier–Stokes equation with the local slip and no-slip boundary conditions. We consider the effective slip length which is defined with respect to the level of the mean height of the surface roughness. With increasing corrugation amplitude the effective no-slip boundary plane is shifted toward the bulk of the fluid, which implies a negative effective slip length. The analysis of the wall shear stress indicates that a flow circulation is developed in the grooves of the rough surface provided that the local boundary condition …

Computational Modeling Of The Internal Structure In The Breast, Jordan Greenlee

Electrical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Many researchers who are using microwave modality in the area of breast cancer detection employ oversimplified models of the internal structure of the breast. Use of engineered or biologically inaccurate models could render inaccurate results. Therefore, a mathematical biological model is implemented in this work and aims to bridge the gap between biologists and engineers. The results of the proposed breast duct model show that older women have smaller breast ducts leading to less dense breasts, which is in agreement with medical knowledge. Also, younger women have larger breast ducts leading to more dense breasts which are consistent with the …

Design, Construction, And Testing Of A New Class Of Mobile Robots, Ivan Siles

All Theses

This thesis introduces a novel mobile robot design concept aimed at exploration of subterranean spaces. The key innovation is the combination of highly maneuverable body elements with wheel/leg elements (Whegs). This combination offers performance not possible with conventional 'monolithic' wheeled or tracked mobile robots, or with current robot snakes. The thesis covers four design iterations of the concept, concentrating on describing the overall design process and results from field tests. Additionally a kinematic analysis of the fourth prototype and implications for future designs is presented.

Towards Dynamical Systems Approach To Fuzzy Clustering, Vladik Kreinovich, Olga Kosheleva

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

In many application areas, there is a need for clustering, and there is a need to take fuzzy uncertainty into account when clustering. Most existing fuzzy clustering techniques are based on the idea that an object belongs to a certain cluster if this object is close to a typical object from this cluster. In some application areas, however, this idea does not work well. One example of such application is clustering in education that is used to convert a detailed number grade into a letter grade.

In such application, it is more appropriate to use clustering techniques which are based …

A Study In The Information Content, Consistency, And Expressive Power Of Function Structures In Mechanical Design, Chiradeep Sen

All Theses

In engineering design research, function structures are used to represent the intended functionality of technical artifacts. Function structures are graph-based representations where the nodes are functions, or actions, and the edges are flows, or objects of those actions. For the consistent description of artifact functionality, multiple controlled vocabularies have been developed in previous research. The Functional Basis is one such vocabulary that provides for a set of verbs and a set of nouns, organized in the three-level hierarchy. This vocabulary is extensively studied in design research. Two major application of this vocabulary are the Design Repository, which is a web-base …

A Robust Process For Biodiesel Production Using Supercritical Methanol, Meagan Magie

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The overarching purpose of Phase I was to test, at the bench scale, a continuous supercritical methanol reactor, and to determine the feasibility of implementing the technology at full scale. Specific objectives in reaching this purpose included:
Objective 1: Choose a viable feedstock
Objective 2: Perform experiments for oil extraction
Objective 3: Design, build and operate a continuous supercritical methanol reactor
Objective 4: Design and simulate full scale biodiesel facility
Objective 4a: Perform life-cycle and economic analysis on full scale design
Objective 5: Prepare a Phase II P3 project to demonstrate the entire biodiesel process
Project Scope: The students performed …

Local Head Loss Of Non-Coaxial Emitters Inserted In Polyethylene Pipe, Osvaldo Rettore Neto, Jarbas Honorio De Miranda, José Antonio Frizzone, Stephen R. Workman

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

The design of a lateral line for drip irrigation requires accurate evaluation of head losses in not only the pipe but in the emitters as well. A procedure was developed to determine localized head losses within the emitters by the formulation of a mathematical model that accounts for the obstruction caused by the insertion point. These localized losses can be significant when compared with the total head losses within the system due to the large number of emitters typically installed along the lateral line. An experiment was carried out by altering flow characteristics to create Reynolds numbers (R) from 7,480 …