Digital Commons Network^™

Fluid Separation And Network Deformation In Wetting Of Soft And Swollen Surfaces, Zhuoyun Cai, Artem Skabeev, Svetlana Morozova, Jonathan T. Pham

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

When a water drop is placed onto a soft polymer network, a wetting ridge develops at the drop periphery. The height of this wetting ridge is typically governed by the drop surface tension balanced by elastic restoring forces of the polymer network. However, the situation is more complex when the network is swollen with fluid, because the fluid may separate from the network at the contact line. Here we study the fluid separation and network deformation at the contact line of a soft polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) network, swollen with silicone oil. By controlling both the degrees of crosslinking and swelling, we …

Characterization, Immobilization, And Polymer Related Applications Of Watermelon Seed Powder, A Practical Source Of Urease Enzyme, Anthony Quan Quoc Mai

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Urease enzyme was crystallized almost a century ago, and to this day its intrinsic stability is not ideal for everyday applications. This work introduces a new process by which a naturally encapsulated material, watermelon seed powder (WMSP), is characterized for its stability and activity. WMSP enzymatic activity has been measured for over a year at various storage conditions—exposed to ambient atmosphere for a year, WMSP retained above 90% activity. In aqueous conditions, the enzyme maintained above 60% activity after two months; with the addition of a preservative that number stays at about 90%. There is a pH shift of the …

Development Of Multifunctional Materials Based On Poly(Ether Ether Ketone) With Improved Biological Performances For Dental Applications, Vanessa Montaño-Machado, Pascale Chevallier, Linda Bonilla-Gameros, Francesco Copes, Chiara Quarta, José De Jesús Kú-Herrera, Florentino Soriano, Victoria Padilla-Gainza, Graciela Morales, Diego Mantovani

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

The main target for the future of materials in dentistry aims to develop dental implants that will have optimal integration with the surrounding tissues, while preventing or avoiding bacterial infections. In this project, poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK), known for its suitable biocompa-tibility and mechanical properties for dental applications, was loaded with 1, 3, and 5 wt.% ZnO nanoparticles to provide antibacterial properties and improve interaction with cells. Sample cha-racterization by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) as well as mechanical properties showed the presence of the nanoparticles and their effect in PEEK matrices, preserving their …

A Feedback-Based Pneumatic Compression System For Effective Lymphedema Management, Mohammad Imrul Kayes

LSU Master's Theses

Bioimpedance analysis (BIA) is a method of detecting lymphedema- a debilitating medical condition involving swelling of the extremities. Pneumatic compression devices are frequently used in the compression treatment of lymphedema. Although existing compression technology provides relief of symptoms, it has limitations in terms of ease-of-use, portability, and monitoring of treatment progress. Currently, there are no BIA analyzers in the market that run on a low-power microcontroller and a rechargeable battery. Moreover, no such device currently exists that integrate the BIA analysis with pneumatic compression system to offer a feedback-based solution for lymphedema treatment. This work represents the first steps towards …

Coarse-Grained Simulation Of Pegylated And Tethered Protein Devices At All Experimentally Accessible Surface Residues On Β-Lactamase For Stability Analysis And Comparison, Addison K. Smith, Mehran Sultani, Joshua Wilkerson, Brandon Timmerman, Emily Long Zhao, Bradley C. Bundy, Thomas A. Knotts

Faculty Publications

PEGylated and surface-tethered proteins are used in a variety of biotechnological applications, but traditional methods offer little control over the placement of the functionalization sites on the protein. Fortunately, recent experimental methods functionalize the protein at any location on the amino acid sequence, so the question becomes one of selecting the site that will result in the best protein function. This work shows how molecular simulation can be used to screen potential attachment sites for surface tethering or PEGylation. Previous simulation work has shown promise in this regard for a model protein, but these studies are limited to screening only …

Spatio-Temporal Memory Models In Spatial Cognitive Behavioral Modeling, Hu Yue, Xu Kai, Qin Long, Quanjun Yin, Yabing Zha

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: It is crucial for military simulation systems to model the layouts of spatial environments and the temporal logic of entity activities. To improve the human-likeness of Computer Generated Forces (CGFs) and the runtime efficiency of the systems, building spatio-temporal memory representations and reasoning mechanisms that accord to mankind cognition is required. The neuro cognition science background of spatio-temporal memory is presented, and the related work on modeling the memory in deep learning and computational intelligence communities is summarized. Following the OODA (Observe-Orient-Decide-Act) loop, a general framework of spatial cognitive behavioral modeling is designed and the application of spatio-temporal memory …

Research On Cgf-Oriented Virtual Human Perceptual Attention Model, Weilong Yang, Xu Kai, Xie Xu, Sun Lin

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: Perception model is an important research field of CGF behavior modeling. As the input of the reasoning module, the information obtained from the perception model has an important influence on the fidelity of the simulation. The CGF perception model is researched, and the attention mechanism, effective time of attention model is analyzed, compared with the traditional model of perception. By modeling the knowledge base and information feedback, a virtual human perception framework based on attention mechanism is proposed, and the experiment is carried out in the simulation environment.

Overview Of Cgf-Oriented Cognitive Architecture, Xu Kai, Junjie Zeng, Weilong Yang, Qin Long, Quanjun Yin

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: In order to further formalize and boost standardized behavioral model development of Computer Generated Forces (CGF), the CGF-oriented cognitive architecture is reviewed and the implementation details of one of the CGF cognitive behaviors, i.e. plan recognition, upon standard cognitive architecture are designed. The results show that the well-designed architecture has a strong support for complex behavior modeling. Four specific suggestions, including requirement analysis, design implementation, theoretical principle and cooperation mechanism, for architecture design and complex behavior modeling are provided.

Biodegradable Cellulose Film Prepared From Banana Pseudo-Stem Using An Ionic Liquid For Mango Preservation, Binling Ai, Lili Zheng, Wenqi Li, Xiaoyan Zheng, Yang Yang, Dao Xiao, Jian Shi, Zhanwu Sheng

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

The excessive use and disposal of plastic packaging materials have drawn increasing concerns from the society because of the detrimental effect on environment and ecosystems. As the most widely used fruit packing material, polyethylene (PE) film is not suitable for long-term preservation of some tropical fruits, such as mangos, due to its inferior gas permeability. Cellulose based film can be made from renewable resources and is biodegradable and environmental-friendly, which makes it a promising alternative to PE as a packaging material. In this study, cellulose film synthesized from delignified banana stem fibers via an ionic liquid 1-Allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([AMIm][Cl]) were …

Determination Of Vadose Zone And Saturated Zone Nitrate Lag Times Using Long-Term Groundwater Monitoring Data And Statistical Machine Learning, Martin J. Wells, Troy E. Gilmore, Natalie Nelson, John K. Bohlke

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

In this study, we explored the use of statistical machine learning and long-term groundwater nitrate monitoring data to estimate vadose zone and saturated zone lag times in an irrigated alluvial agricultural setting. Unlike most previous statistical machine learning studies that sought to predict groundwater nitrate concentrations within aquifers, the focus of this study was to leverage available groundwater nitrate concentrations and other environmental variables to determine mean regional vertical velocities (transport rates) of water and solutes in the vadose zone and saturated zone (3.50 and 3.75 m yr−1 , respectively). The statistical machine learning results are consistent with two primary …

Oxidation Chemistry Of Catechol Utilized In Designing Stimuli-Responsive Adhesives And Antipathogenic Biomaterials, Rattapol Pinnataip, Bruce Lee

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Mussel foot proteins (Mfps) contain a large amount of the catecholic amino acid, DOPA, allowing the marine organism to anchor themselves onto various surfaces in a turbulent and wet environment. Modification of polymers with catechol imparts these materials with a strong, wet adhesive property. The oxidation chemistry and oxidation state of catechol are critical to the design of synthetic adhesives and biomaterials. In this Mini-Review, the effect of catechol oxidation state on adhesion, oxidation-mediated catechol cross-linking, and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during catechol oxidation are reviewed. Finally, the tuning of catechol oxidation state in designing stimuli-responsive adhesives …

How A Low-Cost Method For Cumulative Water-Sampling Shows Need For Improvement Of Legal Public-Contact Standards In The United States, Samuel C. Kessler

Grawemeyer Colloquium Papers

Across the world, it is estimated that 4.5 billion people live near water sources “impaired” for use or contact. Standards for human-interaction are established by international organizations such as the WHO, and legislative bodies from national to local levels with jurisdiction over the quality of our waterways to ensure public & environmental health. Standards are often assessed from “grab-samples” taken from a waterbody at a certain time, with a minimum number analyzed. Water-quality standards in the United States are enforced under the Clean Water Act (CWA) via the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), applying to “waters of the United States” (WOTUS). …

Role Of Nadþ In Regulating Cellular And Metabolic Signaling Pathways, Sara Amjad, Sabah Nisar, Ajaz A. Bhat, Ab Rauf Shah, Michael P. Frenneaux, Khalid Fakhro, Mohammad Haris, Ravinder Reddy, Zoltan Patay, Joseph Baur, Puneet Bagga

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Background: Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺), a critical coenzyme present in every living cell, is involved in a myriad of metabolic processes associated with cellular bioenergetics. For this reason, NAD⁺ is often studied in the context of aging, cancer, and neurodegenerative and metabolic disorders.

Scope of review: Cellular NAD⁺ depletion is associated with compromised adaptive cellular stress responses, impaired neuronal plasticity, impaired DNA repair, and cellular senescence. Increasing evidence has shown the efficacy of boosting NAD⁺ levels using NAD⁺ precursors in various diseases. This review provides a comprehensive understanding into the role of NAD^{+ …}

Formation Of Gas Jets And Vortex Rings From Bursting Bubbles: Visualization, Kinematics, And Fluid Dynamics, Ali A. Dasouqi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The bursting of bubbles at an air-liquid interface is an important physical process in many environmental and industrial applications. Bubble bursting has implications for climate (e.g. marine aerosol formation; Veron 2015), human respiratory health (e.g. aerosolization of harmful substances; Prather et al 2013), food science (e.g. beer and champagne bubbles; Liger-Belair et al 2009), industry (e.g. processes such as gas fluxing and electrowinning; Zhang et al 2011), and volcanology (e.g. Strombolian eruptions; Chojnicki et al 2015). Much of the previous research into bubble bursting has focused on the fluid dynamics of the liquid component, namely the bubble cap film rupture …

Spatially Variable Hydrologic Impact And Biomass Production Tradeoffs Associated With Eucalyptus (E. Grandis) Cultivation For Biofuel Production In Entre Rios, Argentina, Azad Heidari, David Watkins, Alex Mayer, Tamara Propato, Santiago Verón, Diego De Abelleyra

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Climate change and energy security promote using renewable sources of energy such as biofuels. High woody biomass production achieved from short-rotation intensive plantations is a strategy that is increasing in many parts of the world. However, broad expansion of bioenergy feedstock production may have significant environmental consequences. This study investigates the watershed-scale hydrological impacts of Eucalyptus (E. grandis) plantations for energy production in a humid subtropical watershed in Entre Rios province, Argentina. A Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was calibrated and validated for streamflow, leaf area index (LAI), and biomass production cycles. The model was used to simulate …

Under Pressure: Hydrogel Swelling In A Granular Medium, Jean François Louf, Nancy B. Lu, Margaret G. O'Connell, H. Jeremy Cho, Sujit S. Datta

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research

Copyright © 2021 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works. Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial License 4.0 (CC BY-NC). Hydrogels hold promise in agriculture as reservoirs of water in dry soil, potentially alleviating the burden of irrigation. However, confinement in soil can markedly reduce the ability of hydrogels to absorb water and swell, limiting their widespread adoption. Unfortunately, the underlying reason remains unknown. By directly visualizing the swelling of hydrogels confined in three-dimensional granular media, we demonstrate that the extent of hydrogel swelling is …

A Bisphosphonate With A Low Hydroxyapatite Binding Affinity Prevents Bone Loss In Mice After Ovariectomy And Reverses Rapidly With Treatment Cessation, Abigail A. Coffman, Jelena Basta-Pljakic, Rosa M. Guerra, Frank H. Ebetino, Mark W. Lundy, Robert J. Majeska, Mitchell B. Schaffler

Publications and Research

Bisphosphonates (BPs) are a mainstay of osteoporosis treatment; however, concerns about bone health based on oversuppression of remodeling remain. Long-term bone remodeling suppression adversely affects bone material properties with microdamage accumulation and reduced fracture toughness in animals and increases in matrix mineralization and atypical femur fractures in patients. Although a “drug holiday” from BPs to restore remodeling and improve bone quality seems reasonable, clinical BPs have long functional half-lives because of their high hydroxyapatite (HAP) binding affinities. This places a practical limit on the reversibility and effectiveness of a drug holiday. BPs with low HAP affinity and strong osteoclast inhibition …

Dewetting Induced Lipid Bilayer Multicomponent Scaffold For Synthetic Cell Vesicle And Their Stability, Anjana Khanal

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis introduces a microfluidic method to generate monodisperse water-in-oil-in water double emulsions. The microfluidic method is able to produce double emulsions with high degree of controllability and flexibility on size and number of droplets. We demonstrate this by producing double emulsions containing 1-8 inner water droplets and studied their dewetting phenomena to lipid bilayer scaffold. Our study shows that for the dewetting phenomenon to occur the oil must be volatile, polar and should make low contact angle with the involved interfaces. The chloroform shows self-emulsification behavior in presence of surfactant F127. The topological droplets formation with multiple compartments is …

Establishing A Mechanistic Link Between Disturbed Flow And Aneurysm Formation In A 3d Cerebral Bifurcation Model, Nesrine Bouhrira

Theses and Dissertations

The effect of disturbed flow profiles on the endothelium have been studied extensively in systemic vasculature, but less is known about the response of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to these flow regimes. Here we investigate the effect of steady and pulsatile disturbed flow on the integrity of the BBB using a three-dimensional, perfusable bifurcation model consisting of a co-culture of endothelial cells with mural and glial cells. Experimental flow patterns predicted by computational fluid dynamics mimic in vivo flow regimes, specifically the presence of a recirculation zone immediately downstream of the bifurcation reveal periodic changes in the instantaneous shear stress …

Electromagnetic Pollution Alert: Microwave Radiation And Absorption In Human Organs And Tissues, Nantakan Wongkasem

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Electromagnetic radiation from communication and electronic devices, networks, systems and base stations has drawn concern due to excessive global usage with increasing power and operating frequency level. Numerous previous researches only focus on how the radiation from certain frequency ranges of particular devices could harm specific human organs and tissues, resulting in distinct symptoms. In this research, electromagnetic propagation and properties in fourteen human organs and tissues were analyzed and investigated based on the organs and tissues’ electromagnetic and mechanical parameters, and chemical composition. Counting the organs and tissues as electromagnetic materials, their permittivity and conductivity, computed by a 4-Cole-Cole …

Historical Contingency In Microbial Resilience To Hydrologic Perturbations, Hyun-Seob Song, James C. Stegen, Emily B. Graham, Timothy D. Scheibe

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Development of reliable biogeochemical models requires a mechanistic consideration of microbial interactions with hydrology. Microbial response to and its recovery after hydrologic perturbations (i.e., resilience) is a critical component to understand in this regard, but generally difficult to predict because the impacts of future events can be dependent on the history of perturbations (i.e., historical contingency). Fundamental issues underlying this phenomenon include how microbial resilience to hydrologic perturbations is influenced by historical contingency and how their relationships vary depending on the characteristics of microbial functions. To answer these questions, we considered a simple microbial community composed of two species that …

Copper Oxide Nanoparticle Diameter Mediates Serum-Sensitive Toxicity In Beas-2b Cells, Angie S. Morris, Brittany E. Givens, Aaron Silva, Aliasger K. Salem

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles (NPs) are abundant in manufacturing processes, but they are an airway irritant. In vitro pulmonary toxicity of CuO NPs has been modeled using cell lines such as human bronchial epithelial cell line BEAS-2B. In 2D in vitro culture, BEAS-2B undergoes squamous differentiation due to the presence of serum. Differentiation is part of the repair process of lung cells in vivo that helps to preserve the epithelial lining of the respiratory tract. Herein, the effects of serum on the hydrodynamic diameter, cellular viability, cellular differentiation, and cellular uptake of 5 and 35 nm CuO NPs are investigated, …

Deep Learning-Based Breast Cancer Detection And Classification Using Histopathology Images, Ghulam Murtaza

Student Works (2020-2029)

Cancer disease is drastically increasing worldwide over the past few years. Among all types of cancers in women, breast cancer (BrC) is the main cause of abnormal deaths. For a confident diagnosis of BrC, histopathology (Hp) images are usually suggested by the doctors. BrC detection is a diagnostic test for benign (non-cancerous) and malignant (cancerous) breast tumors (BrT). Once the BrT is diagnosed, then it needs to be classified for subtypes of benign and malignant to start specific treatment. Several studies developed BrC detection and classification models using Hp images. However, the existing models required high computational resources, long training …

Managing Vibration Training Safety By Using Knee Flexion Angle And Rating Perceived Exertion, Long-Ren Chuang, Wen-Wen Yang, Po-Ling Chang, Vincent Chiun-Fan Chen, Chiang Liu, Tzyy-Yuang Shiang

Engineering Science Faculty Publications

Whole-body vibration (WBV) is commonly applied in exercise and rehabilitation and its safety issues have been a major concern. Vibration measured using accelerometers can be used to further analyze the vibration transmissibility. Optimal bending angles and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) evaluations have not been sufficiently explored to mitigate the adverse effect. Therefore, the aims of this study were to investigate the effect of various knee flexion angles on the transmissibility to the head and knee, the RPE during WBV exposure, and the link between the transmissibility to the head and the RPE. Sixteen participants randomly performed static squats with …

Modeling The Release And Spreading Of Permanganate From Aerated Slow-Release Oxidants In A Laboratory Flow Tank, Ann Kambhu, Yusong Li, Troy E. Gilmore, Steve D. Comfort

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Aerated, slow-release oxidants are a relatively new technology for treating contaminated aquifers. A critical need for advancing this technology is developing a reliable method for predicting the radius of influence (ROI) around each drive point. In this work, we report a series of laboratory flow tank experiments and numerical modeling efforts designed to predict the release and spreading of permanganate from aerated oxidant candles (oxidant-wax composites). To mimic the design of the oxidant delivery system used in the field, a double screen was used in a series of flow tank experiments where the oxidant was placed inside the inner screen …

Differential Privacy For Industrial Internet Of Things: Opportunities, Applications And Challenges, Bin Jiang, Houbing Song, Jianqiang Li, Guanghui Yue

Publications

The development of Internet of Things (IoT) brings new changes to various fields. Particularly, industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is promoting a new round of industrial revolution. With more applications of IIoT, privacy protection issues are emerging. Specially, some common algorithms in IIoT technology such as deep models strongly rely on data collection, which leads to the risk of privacy disclosure. Recently, differential privacy has been used to protect user-terminal privacy in IIoT, so it is necessary to make in-depth research on this topic. In this paper, we conduct a comprehensive survey on the opportunities, applications and challenges of differential …

Preparation Of Nanoemulsion Using Lipase-Synthesized Glucose Monooleate Through Low Energy Technique, Muhammad Fakhrurazi Ahmad Fadzil

Student Works (2020-2029)

In this study, glucose monooleate (GluO) was synthesized and compared to its counterpart i.e. Tween-80 (Tw-80) and Span-80 (Sp-80) to investigate the influence of the different hydrophilic head structure of the surfactants on emulsification property. Utilizing sugar molecules like glucose as the hydrophilic head group of surfactants is of interest as it has a high potential to be used as a targeted delivery agent. The main objective of this study is to investigate the capability of lipase synthesized GluO in the formation of O/W nanoemulsion in four different types of vegetable oils that are sunflower oil, olive oil, palm oil, …

Deciphering And Engineering An Unprecedented Fungal Biosynthetic Pathway For Expanded Chemical Diversity In Flavonoids, Jixun Zhan

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Electronic Properties Of Dna From Selected Pleurotus Species Using Dna Specific Schottky Diodes, Nastaran Rizan

Student Works (2020-2029)

The exciting discovery of the semiconducting-like properties of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and its potential applications in molecular genetics and diagnostics in recent times has resulted in a paradigm shift in biophysics research. In this aspect, recent studies are being conducted towards detecting charge transfer mechanism to understand the electronic properties of DNA based on its sequence-specific electronic response. This current research aims to contribute towards this effort by fabricating and developing DNA-specific Schottky barrier diodes for characterizing and identifying mushrooms using current-voltage (I-V) profiles. Selected electronic properties such as ideality factor, barrier height, shunt resistance, series resistance, turn-on voltage, knee-voltage, …

A Bibliometric Analysis Of Plant Disease Classification With Artificial Intelligence Based On Scopus And Wos, Shivali Amit Wagle, Harikrishnan R

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The maneuver of Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques in the field of agriculture help in the classification of diseases. Early prediction of the disease benefits in taking relevant management steps. This is an important step towards controlling the disease growth that will yield good quality products to fulfill the global food demand. The main objective of this paper is to study the extent of research work done in this area of plant disease classification. The paper discusses the bibliometric analysis of plant disease classification with AI in Scopus and Web of Science core collection (WOS) database in analyzing the research by …