Digital Commons Network^™

Chemical And Polymer Characterization Of The Potential Modes Of Degradation Of An Injectable Nucleus Pulposus Replacement Device, Antonio G. Abbondandolo

Theses and Dissertations

HYDRAFIL™ is a poly(vinyl alcohol)/poly(ethylene glycol)-based hydrogel nucleus pulposus replacement device that is injected in situ and has demonstrated efficacy in lowering the prevalence and pain associated with back. In this work, we developed a method to analyze HYDRAFIL™ polymer composition using (TGA) and characterized intermolecular bonding interactions within the hydrogel through (FTIR). To function as a permanent implant for nucleus pulposus replacement, HYDRAFIL™ must be stable when exposed to a multitude of degradation pathways, namely, thermal, chemical, and mechanical. We subjected HYDRAFIL™ to accelerated thermal and chemical degradation pathways and described compositional, physical and chemical property changes using a …

Evaluating The Feasibility Of Bioenergy Production From Single And Mixed Beverage Waste And Sewage Sludge Through An Integrated Hydrothermal Liquefaction-Anaerobic Digestion System, Oluwayinka Michael Adedeji

Theses and Dissertations

Beverage waste and sewage sludge are two of the most generated waste-based biomasses. Recent interest in the hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of these wastes pointed to the generation of a byproduct of high dissolved organic carbon [also called aqueous co-product (ACP)]. However, ACP is being discarded which not only increases the environmental footprints of the HTL process but also results in reduced bioenergy potential. Hence, anaerobic digestion (AD) is touted as an effective utilization process of ACP for further bioenergy recovery. This study evaluated the feasibility of producing bioenergy (biocrude and biomethane) from the combination of beverage waste and sewage sludge …

Research Development & Early-Career Faculty: Catalysts Of Change For Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In Stem, Monica Castañeda-Kessel, Idalis Villanueva Alarcón, Ryan Berke

Office of Research Faculty and Staff Publications

Problem Statement: Early-career science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) faculty members are often challenged when identifying authentic diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) goals, objectives, and tasks for their research grant proposals. Advancing DEI has not been one person’s job but rather the responsibility of a highly organized network within a system. Research development professionals have been and will continue to be critical resources for developing DEI plans and broadening participation. Their value is partly due to relationship-oriented processes that research professionals cultivate and shepherd as well as the inherently cross-disciplinary nature of the day-to-day work. Observation: In FY 19, 53% …

Artificial Scaffold And Neural Stem Cell For Neural Regeneration In Rats With Spinal Cord Injury, Krishna Deo Sharma

Student Theses and Dissertations

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating condition that often leads to permanent loss of sensory and motor function. Unfortunately, current treatments only manage symptoms and do not provide a complete cure. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of 3D printed scaffolds and nanomaterials (gold nanorods substrate, nanocellulose-lysine, and TEMPO cellulose) in supporting the growth and differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs) in vitro. We found that these materials were biocompatible, non-toxic, and able to promote the growth and differentiation of NSCs. Additionally, the unique mechanical properties of these nanomaterials make them a promising candidate for use in neuroregeneration …

The Real Energy Burden: Exploring The Intersection Of Equity And Home Energy Efficiency In Vermont, Nathaniel G. Roe

ENGS 88 Honors Thesis (AB Students)

This thesis quantifies the financial burden induced by a home energy efficiency and electrification project through a new metric, the real energy burden (REB). REB captures the percentage of income allocated to the annualized capital cost and the annual energy expenditure of an energy efficiency project. To characterize and demonstrate the use of REB, I draw data from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory ResStock Housing Stock tool to simulate a 2023 energy efficiency and electrification project for three Vermont household archetypes: low, moderate, and high incomes. I find that the REB for the low income archetype is above the energy …

Leveraging Magnetic Nanoparticles And Photothermal Heating For On-Chip Processing Of Therapeutic Exosomes, Siddhant Parwal

Engineering Undergraduate Senior Theses

Drug delivery is a key area of therapeutic development that focuses on delivery of active agents to target tissues while minimizing off-target toxicities. Current methods have drawbacks including immunogenicity and suboptimal tissue targeting. Exosomes have gained attention as an ideal delivery molecule due to their high biocompatibility, cargo agnostic nature, and innate targeting ability. The current roadblock for exosomes as a therapeutic modality is the unscalable and inefficient manufacturing paradigm.

We validate a developed microfluidic device for integrated isolation and therapeutic loading of exosomes from native biofluid. The developed system captures exosomes by use of anti-exosome antibodies conjugated to magnetic, …

Environmentally Friendly New Catalyst Using Waste Alkaline Solution From Aluminum Production For The Synthesis Of Biodiesel In Aqueous Medium, Sandro L. Barbosa, David Lee Nelson, Lucas Paconio, Moises Pedro, Wallans Torres Pio Dos Santos, Alexandre P. Wentx, Fernando L. P. Pessoa, Foster A. Agblevor, Daniel A. Bortoleto, Maria B. De Freitas-Marques, Lucas D. Zanatta

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Red mud (RM) is composed of a waste alkaline solution (pH = 13.3) obtained from the production of alumina. It contains high concentrations of hematite (Fe₂O₃), goethite (FeOOH), gibbsite [Al(OH)₃], a boehmite (AlOOH), anatase (Tetragonal–TiO₂), rutile (Ditetragonal dipyramidal–TiO₂), hydrogarnets [Ca₃Al₂(SiO₄)_3-x(OH)_4x], quartz (SiO₂), and perovskite (CaTiO₃). It was shown to be an excellent catalytic mixture for biodiesel production. To demonstrate the value of RM, an environmentally friendly process of transesterification in aqueous medium using waste cooking oil …

Model-Driven Analysis Of Ecg Using Reinforcement Learning, Christian O'Reilly, Sai Durga Rithvik Oruganti, Deepa Tilwani, Jessica Bradshaw

Publications

Modeling is essential to better understand the generative mechanisms responsible for experimental observations gathered from complex systems. In this work, we are using such an approach to analyze the electrocardiogram (ECG). We present a systematic framework to decompose ECG signals into sums of overlapping lognormal components. We use reinforcement learning to train a deep neural network to estimate the modeling parameters from an ECG recorded in babies from 1 to 24 months of age. We demonstrate this model-driven approach by showing how the extracted parameters vary with age. From the 751,510 PQRST complexes modeled, 82.7% provided a signal-to-noise ratio that …

Factors Influencing Student Outcomes In K-12 Integrated Stem Education: A Systematic Review, Kadir Kozan, Secil Caskurlu, Siddika Selcen Guzey

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Earlier integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education research has shown effects on students’ attitudes toward STEM careers, actual and perceived learning, and interest in pursuing a STEM career in their future endeavors. The current systematic review purported to review the recent K-12 integrated STEM education research to determine (a) the factors that influence student outcomes and (b) the general characteristics of reviewed studies. Overall, the results (a) showed that most studies focused on integrating at least three subject areas; (b) highlighted four main factors (i.e., instructional, teacher-related, student-related, and extracurricular factors) that jointly influence student outcomes; and (c) …

Oxymatrine Loaded Crosslinked Pva Nanofibrous Scaffold: Design And Characterization And Anticancer Properties, Salahuddin Ahmed, Megan Keniry, Narcedalia Anaya-Barbosa, Victoria Padilla, Md Noushad Javed, Robert Gilkerson, Acharan S. Narula, Eman Ibrahim, Karen Lozano

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

This study focuses on the fabrication, characterization and anticancer properties of biocompatible and biodegradable composite nanofibers consisting of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), oxymatrine (OM), and citric acid (CA) using a facile and high-yield centrifugal spinning process known as Forcespinning®. The effects of varying concentrations of OM and CA on fiber diameter and molecular crosslinking were investigated. The morphological and thermo-physical properties, as well as water absorption of the developed nanofiber-based mats were characterized using microscopical analysis, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis. In vitro anti cancer studies were conducted with HCT116 colorectal cancer …

Unveiling Pain: Wearables For Objective Pain Measurement, Hanqing Tang

Masters Theses

">">Pain perception is a subjective experience that differs significantly among individuals, often leading to inconsistencies in assessment and management. A critical issue within this context is the gender bias in pain evaluation, which contributes to unequal treatment and perpetuates gender inequality within the healthcare system. This thesis presents an in-depth investigation of the problem and proposes the development of a wearable device for objective pain assessment. Physiological parameters — Electrocardiography (ECG) can be collected from cardiac sound signals auscultated by fabrics via nanometre-scale vibrations. Machine learning methods can accurately classify heart rate and acute pain intensity of participants. …

Wast3d Potential, Andrew Larsen

Masters Theses

Waste is obsolete. Standard building industry practices are harmful to the environment. Non-traditional construction methods were examined as alternatives. Circular design logic was the guiding principle in material choice. Additive manufacturing is a proven modern method for building construction. Research on 3D printing case studies revealed that recycled plastic is a proven material and readily available. Removing plastic waste from the environment and sequestering it in architectural components gives the material a new purpose. The component of focus was a building block for a wall assembly. Inspiration was taken from the hexagonal Basalt rock formations found near volcanic fault lines. …

Fungi In Flux | Designing Regenerative Materials And Products With Mycelium, Arvind Bhallamudi

Masters Theses

As the world grapples with the escalating crisis of climate threats and environmental degradation, this research delves into the synergistic potential of design and biology, developing safe and sustainable materials for applications in prototyping, furniture and interior design. Harnessing the power of a unique organism - fungi, the study proposes an accessible, efficient, and resilient material resource system. It utilizes local waste streams and mycelium (the vegetative part of fungi) to grow functional structures. An experimental and small-scale protocol is modeled by testing bio-fabrication and bio-printing methods. The composites' performance qualities and characteristics are evaluated through mechanical testing and a …

Spatiotemporal Variability In Total Dissolved Solids And Total Suspended Solids Along The Colorado River, Godson Ebenezer Adjovu, Haroon Stephen, Sajjad Ahmad

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

The Colorado River is a principal source of water for 40 million people and farmlands in seven states in the western US and the Republic of Mexico. The river has been under intense pressure from the effects of climate change and anthropogenic activities associated with population growth leading to elevated total dissolved solid (TDS) and total suspended solid (TSS) concentrations. Elevated TDS- and TSS-related issues in the basin have a direct negative impact on the water usage and the ecological health of aquatic organisms. This study, therefore, analyzed the spatiotemporal variability in the TDS and TSS concentrations along the river. …

Analytical Pipeline To Facilitate Electroencephalography Pain State Identification In Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain, Emma Katharina Jacobs

Master's Theses

Chronic low back pain (cLBP) affects the quality of life of over 23% of American adults and places an immense burden on the economy.^1–3 To more effectively diagnose and treat cLBP, quantitative biomarkers are needed to objectively measure pain and better identify the underlying mechanisms of cLBP. The overarching goal of this work is to create an analytical pipeline to investigate brain activity patterns measured with electroencephalogram (EEG) data of cLBP patients treated with transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS). The specific aims of this project are to 1) investigate whether there is a difference between baseline EEG measurements and …

When Is An Owl More Than An Owl? An Interaction Analysis Of A Computer Science Co-Design Conversation On Cultural Relevance, Stephanie M. Robillard, Victor R. Lee, Jody Clarke-Midura, Jessica F. Shumway

Publications

The learning sciences community is currently exploring new ways to enact productive and equitable co-design research-practice partnerships that are sensitive to all the concerns and needs of stakeholders. The paper contributes to that still-growing literature through an interaction analysis of a co-design discussion involving school district partners that unfolded about cultural relevance and sensitivity in relation to the use of a specific image in an elementary school coding lesson. The episode involved looking moment-by-moment at how district educators recognized and acknowledged that a specific design decision could be harmful for a minoritized population of students enrolled in the district. However, …

Fully Coupled Fluid Structure Interaction Simulation Of Bioprosthetic Heart Valves: A Numerical And Experimental Analysis, Masod Sadipour

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Aortic stenosis impacts approximately 7% of the global population. In the past decade, the role of computational modeling has been becoming considerably important in the design of BHVs. To obtain reliable solutions in computational modeling, it is essential to consider accurate properties of bioprosthetic heart valves (BHVs), such as density and mechanical properties. Previous computational studies assumed (bovine pericardium) BP used in BHVs density was comparable to water or blood. Yet, BP is subjected to multiple treatments like fixation and anti-calcification. In Chapter 2, I measured BP density and its effect on BHV leaflet stress and strain. In the second …

Thermal, Magnetic, And Electrical Properties Of Thin Films And Nanostructures: From Magnetic Insulators To Organic Thermoelectrics, Michael J. M. Roos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Modern fabrication and growth techniques allow for the development of increasingly smaller and more complex solid state structures, the characterization of which require highly specialized measurement platforms. In this dissertation I present the development of techniques and instrumentation used in magnetic, thermal, and electrical property measurements of thin films and nanostructures. The understanding of trapped-flux induced artifacts in SQUID magnetometry of large paramagnetic substrates allows for the resolution of increasingly small moments. Using these methods, the antiferromagnetic coupling of the interface between a Y₃Fe₅O₁₂ film and Gd₃Ga₅O₁₂substrate is quantitatively …

Analysis Of Arterial Compliance Using A Surrogate Arm Bench Top Model For The Validation Of Oscillometric Blood Pressure Methods, Christopher J. Cunningham

Master's Theses

A study was performed on a recently developed prototype of the Yong-Geddes surrogate arm design to collect compliance data of the various system components and determine the accuracy of measurements made through the bench top model. The study was performed to perceive the effectiveness of the model as a tool for validating non-invasive blood pressure detection monitors. Three stages of testing were performed to gather pressure and volume data from an artificial artery component, a sphygmomanometer, and the surrogate arm system to produce compliance estimations. Mathematical equations from supported arterial hemodynamics studies and clinical trials were applied to the pressure …

Microneedles For Wound Healing, Maya Matheny, Maggie Dubus, Lily Eribes

Bioengineering Senior Theses

Microneedles are a virtually painless and minimally invasive transdermal delivery system comprised of an array of micron-sized needles that can be used to deliver cells, drugs, proteins, and vaccines. However, a major challenge to this delivery method is controlling puncture depth. To advance the microneedle landscape, our project aims to identify and characterize the biomechanical cues between a microneedle puncture and a hydrogel skin phantom for pre-clinical testing A stopper microneedle design that controlled puncture depth into the phantom skin model patch to 150μm was tested on millimeter-thick mold-casted alginate slabs. The hysteresis loop differs in the presence and absence …

Morphology And Hemodynamics Of Cerebral Arteries And Aneurysms In A Rare Pair Of Monozygotic Twins, Hang Yi, Zifeng Yang, Luke C. Bramlage, Bryan R. Ludwig

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

In this preliminary study, the underlying pathophysiology mechanisms of cerebral aneurysms (CAs) in monozygotic twins (MTs) were investigated via a rare pair of MTs (twin A and twin B) involving four reconstructed arterial models using preclinical information. First, dimensions and configurated outlines of three-perspective geometries were compared. Adopting an in-vitro validated numerical CA model, hemodynamic characteristics were investigated in the MTs, respectively. Despite expected genetic similarities, morphological comparisons show that configurations of cerebral arteries exhibit significant differences between the twins. The ICA size of twin A is larger than that in twin B (2.23~25.86%), varying with specific locations, attributing to …

Photophoretic Optical Trapping, Essa Ababseh

Electrical Engineering

Photophoretic Optical Trapping (POT) is a relatively new concept in the field of optics which has potential application in 3D display. The POT is realized by confining a particle within a very small location of the optical system, mostly around the focus. The particle, if captured by the beam, has the potential to print visible 3D images in free space. Our POT system is encapsulated by an acrylic enclosure, which also incorporates a biconvex lens as well as an adjustable focus laser module. Particles are released around the top of the lens’ focal point until the captured particle can be …

Spice Modeling Of Biosensing Field-Effect Transistor, Alex Castro

Electrical Engineering

This project created a user manual on how to generate an easily configurable and implementable Spice model for Field Effect Transistor (FET) devices created in the Cal Poly clean room. The document contained step by step procedures depicting the proper execution techniques and example results for different experiments required to gather the proper information for these models. This testing methodology was shown for finding the numerous different device parameters of a FET, including the I-V curves, threshold voltage, and subthreshold current values. The manual then described how to transfer this data into a new Spice model to allow for simulation …

Control Of The Electroporation Efficiency Of Nanosecond Pulses By Swinging The Electric Field Vector Direction, Vitalii Kim, Iurii Semenov, Allen S. Kiester, Mark A. Keppler, Bennett L. Ibey, Joel N. Bixler, Ruben M. L. Colunga Biancatelli, Andrei G. Pakhomov

Bioelectrics Publications

Reversing the pulse polarity, i.e., changing the electric field direction by 180°, inhibits electroporation and electrostimulation by nanosecond electric pulses (nsEPs). This feature, known as “bipolar cancellation,” enables selective remote targeting with nsEPs and reduces the neuromuscular side effects of ablation therapies. We analyzed the biophysical mechanisms and measured how cancellation weakens and is replaced by facilitation when nsEPs are applied from different directions at angles from 0 to 180°. Monolayers of endothelial cells were electroporated by a train of five pulses (600 ns) or five paired pulses (600 + 600 ns) applied at 1 Hz or 833 kHz. Reversing …

Fate And Distribution Of Orally-Ingested Ceo2-Nanoparticles Based On A Mouse Model: Implication For Human Health, Xingmao Ma, Xiaoxuan Wang, Lei Xu, Honglan Shi, Hu Yang, Kerstin K. Landrock, Virender K. Sharma, Robert S. Chapkin

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

The use of nanoparticles in agrichemical formula and food products as additives has increased their chances of accumulation in humans via oral intake. Due to their potential toxicity, it is critical to understand their fate and distribution following oral intake. Cerium oxide nanoparticle (CeO2NP) is commonly used in agriculture and is highly stable in the environment. as such, it has been used as a model chemical to investigate nanoparticle's distribution and clearance. based on their estimated human exposure levels, 0.15–0.75 mg/kg body weight/day of CeO2NPs with different sizes and surface charges (30–50 nm with negative charge and <25 >nm with positive …

3d Printed Poly Lactic Acid Structures For Cell Growth And Nanoparticle Transport-Simulation And Experimental Validation, Shrikrushna Vinayak Sonawane

Masters Theses

In today's world, 3D printing or additive manufacturing (AM) is being widely used in various fields due to its benefits such as rapid prototyping, reduced material waste and energy usage, lower cost, and more. Even the tissue engineering field is utilizing this technology. This study focused on examining the compatibility of 3D printed Lab-on-a-Chip structures made of Poly Lactic Acid (PLA) for in-vitro applications. In this research, the Lab-on-a-Chip structures were designed and created using 3D printing. To achieve the required bio-functionality scaffold surface was customized by post-printing processes such as mechanical polishing, hydrolysis (Wet Chemical Etching), and ultraviolet light …

Detecting Alzheimer's Disease Using Artificial Neural Networks, Sally Lee, Mia Keegan

Electrical Engineering

This project aims to use artificial neural networks (ANN) in order to detect Alzheimer’s disease. More specifically, convolutional neural networks (CNN) will be utilized as this is the most common ANN and has been used in many different image processing applications. The purpose of using artificial neural networks as a detect method is so that an intelligent way for image and signal analysis can be used. A software that implements CNN will be developed so that users in medical settings can utilize this software to detect Alzheimer’s in patients. The input for this software will be the patient’s MRI scans. …

An Interactive Ecosystem Simulator, Tong Zhou

Computer Science and Software Engineering

This project is about an ecosystem simulator game that allows players to manipulate the population size of the selected species and observe these species interact with each other. It focuses on reflecting the consequences of human intervention in the ecosystem and the difficulty of maintaining a balanced ecosystem. I’ve been astonished by how human intervention could easily crash the ecosystem and how difficult it could be to make up for our faults. And many people still hold the thought that we control the world and could determine the death or live of all other creatures as we like. However, the …

Wave Energy Converter For Marine Vessels And Isolated Communities, Leo Kirshenbaum, Owen Pyle, Gage Howard, Charlie Camilli, Jonathan Ma, Emigdio Islas, Joseph Bonafede

Mechanical Engineering

California Polytechnic State University’s 2023 Marine Energy Collegiate Competition team, Surf Supply, has developed a floating dock that transduces wave energy into electricity. The following report aligns with MECC requirements, and our design changes since CDR are present in the User Manual in Appendix F. Our primary market research of the Blue Economy identified electric marine vessel charging and isolated communities as early adopters that could benefit most from the first generation of our wave energy converter (WEC). Surf Supply’s design concept provides a reliable, affordable, and renewable energy source that reduces dependency on conventional fossil fuels, allowing blue economy …

Therapeutic Mechanical Horse Project, Broghan Martin, Carson Roff, Zach Barnisham, Lydia Barnes

Mechanical Engineering

This project team created a simple mechanical model of a horse that disabled children could ride on to feel more comfortable partaking in equine therapy. This project was sponsored by Jack’s Helping Hand as part of their equine therapy program. The team went through the entire design process of researching, ideating, prototyping, and testing to create the final product. Finite element analysis of the structural members of the horse was performed. The forces used in that model were later validated through testing of the strength of those same members after manufacturing. In the end, a self-actuating single degree of freedom …