Engineering Commons^™

Stress Analysis Based On Ecg And Eeg, Eyad Talal Attar

Theses and Dissertations

Stress is a significant risk factor for various diseases such as hypertension, heart attack, stroke, and even sudden death. In many studies, stress is linked to decision making, performance, and learning. The heart rate variability (HRV) can be measured from the Electrocardiogram (ECG) and is defined as the variation of the interval between two consecutive heartbeats (heart rate). Heart rate variability is also an indicator of the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system. HRV refers to variations of heart rate in a certain amount of time. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a relatively new …

Interrelation Of Thermal Stimulation With Haptic Perception, Emotion, And Memory, Mehdi Hojatmadani

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Haptics is an interdisciplinary field of science that deals with how humans perceive and respond to different sensory cues perceived through touch. Thermal haptics as a branch deals with how humans perceive the temperature sensation and respond to that. The process in which thermal perception occurs is well known to researchers. What seems missing in the literature is how temperature interacts or sometimes intervenes in other physiological and psychological aspects of our lives. In this research, a series of studies are presented where the main focus was how temperature and brain interact with each other to impede or enhance our …

Anatomical Correlates Of Age-Related Basal Forebrain Dysfunction, Brandy Lynn Somera

Theses and Dissertations

The basal forebrain (BF) is comprised of several nuclei including the substantia innominata, medial septum, nucleus basalis and diagonal band of broca which are involved in cognitive functions including attention, motivation, and arousal. BF neurons are particularly vulnerable to dysfunction and degeneration in aged humans and, more dramatically, in diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Age-related BF dysfunction may reflect diminished afferent regulation as well as an altered local glial environment. Our lab has previously shown reduced orexin/hypocretin innervation of BF in aging, a phenomenon that may link afferent dysfunction with altered microglial homeostasis. There is little research examining these …

Printing Quality Improvement For Laser-Induced Forward Transfer Bioprinting: Numerical Modeling And Experimental Validation, Jie Qu, Chaoran Dou, Ben Xu, Jianzhi Li, Zhonghao Rao, Andrew Tsin

Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering Faculty Publications

Laser-induced-forward-transfer (LIFT)-based laser assisted bioprinting (LAB) has great advantages over other three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting techniques, such as none-contact, free of clogging, high precision, and good compatibility. In a typical LIFT based LAB process, a jet flow transfers the bioink from the ribbon to the substrate due to bioink bubble generation and collapse, and the printing quality is highly dependent on the jet flow regime (stable or unstable), so it is a great challenge to understand the connection between the jet flow and the printing outcomes. To tackle this challenge, a novel computational-fluid-dynamics (CFD)-based model was developed in this study to …

Developing A Lab-Scale Fluidized Bed Dryer System To Enhance Rough Rice Drying Process, Kaushik Luthra

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

For more than half of the world's population, rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a staple meal. However, rice growers encounter difficulties supplying this demand, particularly in developing nations, where rice is susceptible to spoilage if the moisture content is not lowered to a safe level soon after harvest. As a result, traditional drying methods, such as sun drying and natural air drying, are commonly used by rice growers, particularly in underdeveloped nations. However, these procedures are time-consuming and can lead to rice spoilage. On the other hand, fluidized bed drying is a well-established technology that might give rice growers a …

Synthesis And Performance Testing Of Ecm Fiber Scaffolds, Cassandra Reed

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The progression of regenerative medicine has advanced the treatment of multiple illnesses and injuries throughout the years. A good example of the benefits of this research is the work that has gone into volumetric muscle loss (VML), where more than 20% of the muscle is loss. Skeletal muscle makes up 40% of the human body so a loss of that size greatly diminishes the strength, the flexibility, physiology, and quality of life of the injured individual. For that reason, various techniques are used to counteract the loss of structure and innate cellular signaling in order to circumvent that from happening. …

A Portable Point-Of-Care Device Using Joule Heating And Latent Energy Storage For The Temperature Regulation Of Isothermal Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests, Aubrey Lynn Schultz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Accurate and early diagnosis of infectious diseases extremely important. Rapid diagnosis allows for effective treatment and increases the chance for recovery without complications. Additionally, the ability to test the populace frequently, swiftly, and affordably significantly aids in containing wide-scale outbreaks. In terms of specificity and sensitivity, nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT) are one of the best options for diagnosing infectious diseases. Isothermal NAATS present a unique opportunity to create diagnostic tests deployed at a Point-of-Care (POC) level. Specifically, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) have the potential to deliver reliable POC diagnostics in low-resource settings. When designing …

Regulation Of Inflammatory Processes By Tryptamine, Cannabidiol And 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-P-Dioxin, Nicholas Dopkins

Theses and Dissertations

Host immunity is a complicated system of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory processes that respond to exogenous and endogenous threats to regulate host physiology, inhibit carcinogenesis, and protect from infections. Sustained deviance from normal immunological function occurs due to a variety of factors both endogenous and exogenous, with some factors that can dysregulate host immunity including: genetics, microbiota composition, toxin exposure, age, gender, and smoking. The etiology of inflammatory disorders is both convoluted and complex due to the sheer number of facets regulating host immunity. To better contribute to understanding how immunological dysregulation occurs we focused on how three anti-inflammatory compounds (tryptamine, …

An In Vitro Approach To Vascular Therapeutic Testing, Shahd Ali Hasanain

Theses and Dissertations

Aortopathies refer to a broad class of pathological conditions affecting the aorta and are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the US. Specifically, aortic aneurysms and aortic dissections have diverse etiologies that are initiated by alterations in the tissue’s extracellular-matrix (ECM) proteins, namely collagen and elastin, thereby predisposing the aortic wall to weaken and rupture. Pentagalloyl glucose (PGG) has recently emerged as a non-surgical treatment to reduce the risk of dissection or rupture. PGG is a known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory which has been shown to have ECM-restorative qualities that enhance collagen and elastin’s functional properties. Prior studies using …

Experimental And Analysis Of Electromagnetic Characterization Of Biological And Non-Biological Materials In Microwave, Millimeter-Wave, And Terahertz Frequency Bands, Nagma Vohra

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research is to characterize the electromagnetic properties of biological and non-biological materials at terahertz (THz), millimeter-wave, and microwave frequency bands. The biological specimens are measured using the THz imaging and spectroscopy system, whereas the non-biological materials are measured using the microwave and millimeter-wave free-space system. These facilities are located in the Engineering Research Center at the University of Arkansas. The THz imaging system (TPS 3000) uses a Ti-Sapphire laser directed on the photoconductive antennas to generate a THz time domain pulse. Upon using the Fourier Transform, the spectrum of the pulsed THz signal includes frequencies from …

Nanomaterial-Based Biosensors For Detection Of Salmonella Typhimurium And Avian Influenza Virus H5n1 In Poultry, Xinge Xi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This research focused on developing biosensing method and biosensing device for rapid detection of pathogens in poultry: Salmonella Typhimurium and avian influenza virus H5N1. The first part of the dissertation reports an original research on the development of a portable biosensing device for Salmonella detection. The device was designed and constructed based on a previously developed optical biosensing method, using immuno-magnetic nanoparticles to specifically capture target bacteria, and immuno-quantum dot beads to label the target bacteria for fluorescence detection. All the actions of sample mixing, magnetic separation, and fluorescence detection were controlled automatically in a disposable microfluidic chip in the …

The Impact Of Nanopulse Treatment On The Tumor Microenvironment In Breast Cancer: Overturning The Treg Immunosuppressive Dominance, Anthony Nanajian

Biomedical Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Nanopulse treatment (NPT) is a high-power electric engineering modality that has been shown to be an effective local tumor treatment approach in multiple cancer models. Our previous studies on the orthotopic 4T1-luc breast cancer model demonstrated that NPT ablated local tumors. The treatment consequently conferred protection against a second live tumor challenge and minimized spontaneous metastasis. This study aims to understand how NPT mounts a potent immune response in a predominantly immunosuppressive tumor.

NPT changed the local and systemic dynamics of immunosuppressive cells by significantly reducing the numbers of regulatory T cells (Tregs), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and tumor-associated macrophages …

What Internal Variables Affect Sensorimotor Rhythm Brain-Computer Interface (Smr-Bci) Performance?, Alex J. Horowitz, Christoph Guger, Milena Korostenskaja

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

In this review article, we aimed to create a summary of the effects of internal variables on the performance of sensorimotor rhythm-based brain computer interfaces (SMR-BCIs). SMR-BCIs can be potentially used for interfacing between the brain and devices, bypassing usual central nervous system output, such as muscle activity. The careful consideration of internal factors, affecting SMR-BCI performance, can maximize BCI application in both healthy and disabled people. Internal variables may be generalized as descriptors of the processes mainly dependent on the BCI user and/or originating within the user. The current review aimed to critically evaluate and summarize the currently accumulated …

What External Variables Affect Sensorimotor Rhythm Brain-Computer Interface (Smr-Bci) Performance?, Alex J. Horowitz, Christoph Guger, Milena Korostenskaja

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Sensorimotor rhythm-based brain-computer interfaces (SMR-BCIs) are used for the acquisition and translation of motor imagery-related brain signals into machine control commands, bypassing the usual central nervous system output. The selection of optimal external variable configuration can maximize SMR-BCI performance in both healthy and disabled people. This performance is especially important now when the BCI is targeted for everyday use in the environment beyond strictly regulated laboratory settings. In this review article, we summarize and critically evaluate the current body of knowledge pertaining to the effect of the external variables on SMR-BCI performance. When assessing the relationship between SMR-BCI performance and …

Design For Living

DePaul Magazine

With health care increasingly moving online, DePaul has emerged as a leader in cutting-edge digital technology leveraged for the greater good. From harnessing design as a vehicle for social change to creating an app to help close racial inequity gaps in care, 21st-century advances with an eye toward Vincentian values are unfolding every day at DePaul thanks to the inventiveness and ingenuity of its faculty, staff and students.

On Using The Bmcsl Equation Of State To Renormalize The Onsager Theory Approach To Modeling Hard Prolate Spheroidal Liquid Crystal Mixtures, Donya Ohadi, David S. Corti, Mark J. Uline

Faculty Publications

Modifications to the traditional Onsager theory for modeling isotropic–nematic phase transitions in hard prolate spheroidal systems are presented. Pure component systems are used to identify the need to update the Lee–Parsons resummation term. The Lee–Parsons resummation term uses the Carnahan–Starling equation of state to approximate higher-order virial coefficients beyond the second virial coefficient employed in Onsager’s original theoretical approach. As more exact ways of calculating the excluded volume of two hard prolate spheroids of a given orientation are used, the division of the excluded volume by eight, which is an empirical correction used in the original Lee–Parsons resummation term, must …

Development Of A Bipolar Radiofrequency Ablation Device For Renal Denervation, Noel Perez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The American Heart Association (AHA) reported in March 2020, hypertension (HT) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and heart stroke. Resistant hypertension (RH) is a subset of HT and affects 11-16% of hypertensive patients. RH is diagnosed when a patient cannot achieve blood pressure control despite taking three or more medications and is a serious clinical management challenge.

Renal denervation (RD) using radiofrequency (RF) ablation is an accepted form of RH therapy. RD devices are typically delivered through femoral access into the renal artery with the assistance of a standard guided sheath. In the European Union (EU), the …

Somatic Inhibition By Microscopic Magnetic Stimulation, Hui Ye

Biology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Electric currents can produce quick, reversible control of neural activity. Externally applied electric currents have been used in inhibiting certain ganglion cells in clinical practices. Via electromagnetic induction, a miniature-sized magnetic coil could provide focal stimulation to the ganglion neurons. Here we report that high-frequency stimulation with the miniature coil could reversibly block ganglion cell activity in marine mollusk Aplysia californica, regardless the firing frequency of the neurons, or concentration of potassium ions around the ganglion neurons. Presence of the ganglion sheath has minimal impact on the inhibitory effects of the coil. The inhibitory effect was local to the …

Alternative Approaches To Protect Sensory Inner Ear Tissue Against Cisplatin-Induced Ototoxicity, Nicole K. Febles

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder often involving permanent damage and loss to the inner ear’s mechano-sensory hair cells and spiral ganglion neuron fibers. Significant causes of SNHL are ototoxic drugs, environmental factors, loud noises, and continuous wear with age. A successful but ototoxic chemotherapeutic known as Cisplatin often damages auditory hair cells via mitochondria dysfunction, DNA fragmentation, and cellular death through apoptosis. Despite the high prevalence of SNHL, there currently is no FDA-approved prevention or cure. Thus, auditory and cancer researchers have investigated various individual otoprotective agent preventions with limited success. This dissertation used a novel …

Determination Of Main Ingredients In Milk Using Akm-98 Milk Analyzer, Qobil Mukhiddinov Master, Sh Sultanova Dr., J Safarov Dr. Professor, A Aït-Kaddour Dr., Professor, D Samandarov Phd

Technical science and innovation

The aim of the research is a quick, easy, economical way to determine milk content. Nowadays, the production of cow’s milk is dominant, but the original quality of non-bovine milk, such as camel’s milk, is now better described and is experiencing growing interest. Camel’s milk, goat’s milk, ewe’s milk and buffalo’s milk have received special attention because of their recognition as potential functional foods from a nutritional point of view. It is admitted that camel’s milk presents a high nutritional quality; e.g., it has three times more vitamin C, minerals, and essential and polyunsaturated Fatty Acids than cow’s milk. It …

Investigation Of The Polycondensation Reaction Of Waste Chemicals In Order To Use Them To Produce Ion-Exchange Polymers, Kh Makhmudov, M Berdieva, A Yuldashev, T Tursunov, R Nazirova, S Turabdjanov, B Kedelbaev

Technical science and innovation

In this article, we investigated the polycondensation reaction of cube wastes from the Shurtan gas-chemical complex with furfural as a function of reaction temperature, catalyst existence and concentration, starting substance ratio, and other factors. This research resulted in the creation of a new polymer that was used as a polymer matrix for the introduction of ionogenic groups. The composition of cubic waste (CW) from the Shurtan Gas Chemical Complex (SGCC) has been determined by chromatographic analysis. A mixture of CW-1 and CW-2 in equal weight ratios was used to produce the polymer (this mixture will hereinafter be referred to simply …

Kinematic Analysis Of Gait In An Underwater Treadmill Using Land-Based Vicon T 40s Motion Capture Cameras Arranged Externally, Shreyas L. Raghu, Ryan T. Conners, Chang-Kwon Kang, David B. Landrum, Paul N. Whitehead

PRC-Affiliated Research

Aquatic therapy for rehabilitation can be performed in a variety of environments, which can vary from a traditional swimming pool to a self-contained underwater treadmill. While kinematic analysis has been performed in large volume swimming pools using specific underwater motion capture systems, researchers may only have access to a land-based motion-capture system, which is not waterproof. Additionally, underwater motion capture systems may not fit within the confines of a smaller underwater treadmill. Thus, the purpose of this study was to design and analyze methodology to quantify lower limb kinematics during an aquatic treadmill session, using a land-based motion capture system. …

Kinematic Analysis Of Gait In An Underwater Treadmill Using Land-Based Vicon T 40s Motion Capture Cameras Arranged Externally, Shreyas L. Raghu, Ryan T. Conners, Chang-Kwon Kang, David B. Landrum, Paul N. Whitehead

PRC-Affiliated Research

Aquatic therapy for rehabilitation can be performed in a variety of environments, which can vary from a traditional swimming pool to a self-contained underwater treadmill. While kinematic analysis has been performed in large volume swimming pools using specific underwater motion capture systems, researchers may only have access to a land-based motion-capture system, which is not waterproof. Additionally, underwater motion capture systems may not fit within the confines of a smaller underwater treadmill. Thus, the purpose of this study was to design and analyze methodology to quantify lower limb kinematics during an aquatic treadmill session, using a land-based motion capture system. …

Low-Cost Device For Laser Phacoemulsification: A Preliminary Study, Mitchell Harrah

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The current gold standard of cataract removal surgery is phacoemulsification systems. These are divided based on the type of devices used; both are considered equal but with different delivery modes. These delivery methods are either acoustic or light-based. However, these devices pose two hurdles for impoverished areas: high costs and heavy resource usage. This thesis proposes a novel phacoemulsification system is based on the low-cost, off-shelf laser diodes that implement light-based phacoemulsification of cataracts. The system is tested for viability over two methods: finite element analysis and experimentation on various phantoms. Simulations on the device have occurred on the COMSOL …

Effects Of Stiffness And Cell Shape On Cellular Mechanosensing, Sarah Lynn Furman

Theses and Dissertations

Cellular mechanosensing is the process of converting mechanical signals into biological responses. Stem cells are self-renewing cells with the potential to transform into specialized cell types - this differentiation process is influenced by cellular mechanosensing. Cells sense material stiffness, and stiffer environments result in increased cellular mechanosensing and preferential differentiation into bone-producing osteoblasts. Cell shape also plays an important role due to its influence on cytoskeletal contractility, and photopatterning can be used to study the effects of cell shape on cellular mechanosensing. Although the effects of material stiffness and cell shape have been studied, little is known about the joint …

Porous Scaffold And Soft Hydrogel Composite For Biomedical Applications, Matthew Dicerbo

Theses and Dissertations

Biophysical signals including stiffness and dimensionality influence a myriad of stem cell behaviors including morphology, mechanosensing, and differentiation. 2D stiff environments cause increased cellular spreading and induce osteogenic differentiation whereas 3D soft environments favor rounder cell morphologies attributed to a chondrogenic phenotype. The goal of this study is to create a composite that integrates these divergent biophysical signals within one system. This composite consists of a stiff and porous polycaprolactone (PCL) backbone that provides mechanical stiffness and a 2D environment. The PCL backbone is then perfused with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and a soft methacrylated gelatin (GelMe) hydrogel to provide …

The Role Of Scenography In The Narration Of The Inner Space Of Contemporary Museums Through Employment The Space Staging, Shamael M. W. Al-Dabbagh, Dania Saleh Yaheia Al-Jaboury

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Engineering Sciences

In the recent period, several design mechanisms have emerged related to the design of internal spaces in architecture, specifically the museum spaces and associated with exhibitions, and the most important of these scenographic mechanisms are clearly and significantly adopted in the field of theater to design the stage and the scene that embodies the narrative vision and the idea of the theater director and scenographic designer to express what the text wants from Anecdotal expressing the objectives of the product of the text, therefore the research aimed to delve into the effect of the scenography mechanism on the contemporary architectural …

Evaluating The Performance Of The Jadriya Water Project For Water Treatment, Rana Mohammed Rasheed

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Engineering Sciences

For the purpose of evaluating the performance of the Al-Jadriya water project, water samples were taken before and after the sedimentation basins to find out the efficiency of the sedimentation ponds, as well as water samples were taken before and after the filtration basins, to know the efficiency of the filtration basins by conducting the following tests on them (Turbidity, TDS, TC, pH) to ensure that these ponds work properly. It was found that the efficiency rate of sedimentation ponds was 83%, which indicates the inefficiency of these ponds, as well as the inefficiency of the fast and slow mixing …

Possible Developments Of The Industrialization Of Appropriate Building Subsystem For Iraq, Wisam William Saleem Al-Ayoubi

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Engineering Sciences

Industrialization of building has developed very rapidly in industrialized countries as well as in many other parts of the world to fulfill the need for housing and public buildings after the Second World War. Prefabricated building is defined as a type of building that consists of several elements or modular units prepared in advance and assembled on-site. The term prefabricated indicates that these building elements are manufactured in the workshop or factory and then combined with other elements. Iraq has witnessed vital development in the construction industry sector. The study investigates the appropriate technology for Iraq, considering resources, economy, labor, …

Ion Exchange Method For Sulphate Removal From Treated Wastewater Of Al-Doura Refinery, Rana Mohammed Rasheed

Al-Esraa University College Journal for Engineering Sciences

The treated wastewater by the industrial Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), commonly named (INGECO) in Al-Doura refinery, suffers from highly sulfate concentrations that exceed the EPA specified limits of 250 mg/L. Laboratory water quality historical data have been reviewed and analyzed to determine the annual rate, maximum, and peak sulfate concentrations, which were found to be 360 mg/L, 425 mg/L, and 550 mg/L, respectively. A field inspection was conducted to identify the reasons for the high sulfate concentrations in the wastewater of most refinery process units. It was found that the maximum required sulfate remaining concentration should not exceed 10 mg/L …