Engineering Commons^™

A New Paradigm For Human Resuscitation Research Using Intelligent Devices, Charles F. Babbs, Andre E. Kemeny, Weilun Quan, Gary Freeman

Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Objectives: To develop new methods for studying correlations between the performance and outcome of resuscitation efforts in real-world clinical settings using data recorded by automatic devices such as automatic external defibrillators (AEDs), and to explore effects of shock timing and chest compression depth in the field. Methods: In 695 records of AED use in the pre-hospital setting, continuous compression data were recorded using AEDs capable of measuring sternal motion during compressions, together with timing of delivered shocks and the electrocardiogram. In patients who received at least one shock, putative return of spontaneous circulation (P-ROSC) was defined as a regular, narrow …

Histogram-Based Template Matching Object Detection In Images With Varying Brightness And Contrast, Christina Da-Wann Schrider

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Our challenge was to develop a semi-automatic target detection algorithm to aid human operators in locating potential targets within images. In contrast to currently available methods, our approach is relatively insensitive to image brightness, image contrast and object orientation. Working on overlapping image blocks, we used a sliding difference method of histogram matching. Incrementally sliding the histograms of the known object template and the image region of interest (ROI) together, the sum of absolute histogram differences was calculated. The minimum of the resultant array was stored in the corresponding spatial position of a response surface matrix. Local minima of the …

Biomechanical Evaluation Of Locked And Non-Locked Constructs Under Axial And Torsion Loading, Vinit A. Patel

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Locking compression plates are proven to be safe for use in open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF). The ORIF is a procedure performed to treat fractures. It has various combination of holes, the system provides more options for clinicians to use either locking screw or non-locking screws. This thesis investigates and determines the best construct with special locking and non-locking screws under both axial and torsion loading. Twenty femur constructs were assembled with 2 cm osteotomy gap between femur shaft and condyle, bridged with 4.5 mm - 10 holes condyle plates. Femurs were divided in to 4 groups according to …

Motion-Control System Of Bench-Top Ct Scanner, Tarpit Kaushikbhai Patel

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Computed Tomography (CT) imaging has found applications in many areas such as diagnostic visualization, quantitative estimation, and therapeutic verification. In this wide range of applications, a CT scanner that can provide the data collection schemes of both second- and third-generation data-collection geometries will be an asset for laboratory research. In this thesis project, we developed a mechanical design and constructed a dual-generation CT scanner that provides flexibility in accommodating a wide range of object sizes with minimum scan time. Using 3-D graphical design software, models of the current second-generation CT scanner and possible solutions for modification were simulated. Based on …

Finite Element Optimization Of Hip Implant Geometrical Parameters To Determine Safe Zones And Resist Dislocation, Himanshu K. Bhatt

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A computational study was performed using finite element analysis (FEA) of three dimensional solid hip implant models. Twelve different hip implant models were designed to investigate the performance of geometrical parameters affecting hip stability. The parameters examined were head diameter, neck diameter, head-to-neck ratio, neck angle and acetabular liner thickness. Component orientations included cup anatomical inclination and cup anteversion, which should be accounted for during total hip implant design as well as in the practice of arthroplasties. A static analysis was performed for all 12 hip designs using stainless steel 316L. von Mises stress, contact stress, contact penetration, and sliding …

Automated Analysis Of Metacarpal Cortical Thickness In Serial Hand Radiographs, Aarti Raheja

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To understand the roles of various genes that influence skeletal bone accumulation and loss, accurate measurement of bone mineralization is needed. However, it is a challenging task to accurately assess bone growth over a person's lifetime. Traditionally, manual analysis of hand radiographs has been used to quantify bone growth, but these measurements are tedious and may be impractical for a large-scale growth study. The aim of this project was to develop a tool to automate the measurement of metacarpal cortical bone thickness in standard hand-wrist radiographs of humans aged 3 months to 70+ years that would be more accurate, precise …

Aging And Sleep Stage Effects On Entropy Of Electroencephalogram Signals, Swetha Vennelaganti

University of Kentucky Master's Theses

The aging brain is characterized by alteration in synaptic contacts, which leads to decline of motor and cognitive functions. These changes are reflected in the age related shifts in power spectrum of electroencephalogram (EEG) signals in both wakefulness and sleep. Various non-linear measures have been used to obtain more insights from EEG analysis compared to the conventional spectral analysis. In our study we used Sample Entropy to quantify regularity of the EEG signal. Because elderly subjects arouse from sleep more often than younger subjects, we hypothesized that Entropy of EEG signals from elderly subjects would be higher than that from …

Pathogen Best Management Practices (Bmps), Richard K. Koelsch

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Presentations and White Papers

Management practices targeting pathogens focus on establishing multiple barriers between the pathogen source and water, with each barrier designed to lessen the risk of pathogens. The “Agricultural Environmental Management” program developed at Cornell University for dairy producers in New York watersheds promotes a four-barrier approach.

Alkaline Pretreatment Of Coastal Bermudagrass For Bioethanol Production, Ziyu Wang, Deepak R. Keshwani, Arthur P. Redding, Jay J. Cheng

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Presentations and White Papers

Lignocellulosic materials are regarded as an alternative energy source for bioethanol production to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. Pretreatment is important for improving the enzymatic digestibility of lignocelluloses to increase the yield of fermentable sugars. Alkaline (sodium hydroxide and lime (calcium hydroxide)) pretreatment of coastal bermudagrass for enhanced reducing sugars recovery was investigated in this study. The effect of NaOH pretreatment at 121°C using 1%, 2% and 3% (w/v) NaOH for 15, 30, 60 and 90 minutes was evaluated first. Lower NaOH concentrations (0.5% and 0.75%) and lower temperatures (50, 80 and 100°C) were then examined. Lime (0.1 g …

Preparation And Characterization Of Tapioca Starch-Poly(Lactic Acid)-Cloisite Na+ Nanocomposite Foams, Siew-Yoong Lee, Milford Hanna

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Tapioca starch, poly(lactic acid), and Cloisite NA⁺ nanocomposite foams, with four clay contents (1, 3, 5, 7, wt %), were prepared by melt-intercalation method. Selected structural, thermal, physical, and mechanical properties were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and an Instron universal testing machine, respectively. XRD results indicated that the 1 wt % nanocomposite foam did not show the characteristic basal reflection of the nanoclay. The 3, 5, and 7 wt % nanocomposite foams produced a mixture of intercalated and tactoid structures. The d₀₀₁-spacing of 3, 5, 7 wt % nanocomposite foams …

Nutrient Transport As Affected By Rate Of Overland Flow, John E. Gilley, W. F. Sabatka, B. Eghball, David B. Marx

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Little information is currently available concerning the effects of varying flow rate on nutrient transport by overland flow. The objective of this study was to measure the effects of overland flow rate on nutrient transport following the application of beef cattle or swine manure to plots containing 0, 2, 4, or 8 Mg ha^-1 of corn residue. After addition of residue materials to 0.75 m wide by 2.0 m long plots, beef cattle or swine manure was added and the plots were then either disked or maintained in a no-till condition. Three 30 min simulated rainfall events, separated by …

Narrow Grass Hedge Effects On Nutrient Transport Following Compost Application, John E. Gilley, B. Eghball, David B. Marx

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The placement of stiff‐stemmed grass hedges on the contour along a hillslope has been shown to decrease nutrient transport in runoff. This study was conducted to measure the effectiveness of a narrow grass hedge in reducing runoff nutrient transport from plots with a range of soil nutrient values. Composted beef cattle manure was applied at dry weights of 0, 68, 105, 142, and 178 Mg ha^-1 to a silty clay loam soil and then incorporated by disking. Soil samples were collected 243 days later for analysis of water‐soluble phosphorus (WSP), Bray and Kurtz No. 1 phosphorus (Bray‐1 P), NO …

Rule-Based Mamdani-Type Fuzzy Modeling Of Skin Permeability, Deepak R. Keshwani, David D. Jones, George E. Meyer, Rhonda M. Brand

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Two Mamdani type fuzzy models (three inputs–one output and two inputs–one output) were developed to predict the permeability of compounds through human skin. The models were derived from multiple data sources including laboratory data, published data bases, published statistical models, and expert opinion. The inputs to the model include information about the compound (molecular weight and octonal–H₂O partition coefficient) and the application temperature. One model included all three parameters as inputs and the other model only included information about the compound. The values for mole molecular weight ranged from 30 to 600 Da. The values for the log …

Comparison Of Lipid Extraction Methods Of Food-Grade Sorghum (Sorghum Bicolor) Using Hexane, K. L. Christiansen, Curtis L. Weller, V. L. Schlegel, I. M. Dweikat

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Much has been reported concerning sorghum phytochemicals, such as policosanols, but little literature exists on how various extraction methods might be used to optimize the recovery of such phytochemicals. The purpose of this study was to compare three extraction methods for recovery of different sorghum lipids. Lipids were extracted from whole kernel and ground Macia, a food-grade sorghum hybrid, with hexane by a Soxtec method, a refluxing method (RB), and a bench-scale recirculated solvent (RC) method. Comparisons of total lipid yield and lipid class yields extracted from the grain by each method were made. Total lipid yield for the three …

Field Slope Effects On Uniformity Of Corn Seed Spacing For Three Precision Planter Metering Systems, Corey L. Searle, Michael F. Kocher, John A. Smith, Erin E. Blankenship

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The effects of field slope on planter seed spacing uniformity were evaluated for three different seed metering units (cell plate, finger pick‐up, and flat plate) operating with medium round corn seed in a laboratory using the University of Nebraska planter test stand with an opto‐electronic seed spacing sensor system. The metering units included a John Deere MaxEmerge™ Plus VacuMeter row unit with the standard cell corn plate, a John Deere MaxEmerge™ Plus VacuMeter row unit with the flat plate, and a John Deere MaxEmerge™ Plus row unit with the finger pick‐up metering system. Planter seed spacing uniformity was measured using …

Visible/Near-Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging For Beef Tenderness Prediction, Govindarajan Konda Naganathan, Lauren M. Grimes, Jeyamkondan Subbiah, Chris R. Calkins, Ashok Samal, George E. Meyer

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Beef tenderness is an important quality attribute for consumer satisfaction. The current beef quality grading system does not incorporate a direct measure of tenderness because there is currently no accurate, rapid, nondestructive method for predicting tenderness available to the beef industry. The objective of this study was to develop and test a visible/nearinfrared hyperspectral imaging system to predict tenderness of 14-day aged, cooked beef from hyperspectral images of fresh ribeye steaks acquired at 14-day post-mortem. A push-broom hyperspectral imaging system (wavelength range: 400-1000 nm) with a diffuse-flood lighting system was developed and calibrated. Hyperspectral images of beef-steak (n = 111) …

Performance Evaluation Of Aluminum Test Cell Designed For Determining The Heat Resistance Of Bacterial Spores In Foods, H.-J. Chung, Sohan Birla, Juming Tang

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Thermal inactivation kinetic studies are necessary to determine heat resistances of spores in the development of new thermal processes for low-acid shelf-stable products. Most currently available sample holders used in the kinetic studies take long time to reach the target sample temperature, hence fail to provide isothermal condition. In this research, novel aluminum test cells were developed to facilitate easy loading and unloading solid and liquid food samples in a hermetically sealed 1 ml cavity to evaluate the heat resistance of bacterial spores when heated at temperatures above 100 °C. Design of the test cell was governed by minimum come-up …

Characterization Of Radio Frequency Heating Of Fresh Fruits Influenced By Dielectric Properties, Sohan Birla, S. Wang, Juming Tang, G. Tiwari

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Because of its fast and volumetric nature, radio frequency (RF) heating has been looked upon as a way to overcome the problems associated with conventional heating methods used for disinfestation of fruits. But non-uniform heating within fruits is a major obstacle in adaptation of this technology. In this study, RF heating patterns influenced by dielectric properties (DPs) of fruits were investigated both experimentally and mathematically. A computer simulation model was developed using FEMLAB 3.4, a commercial software for solving Maxwell’s electromagnetic and Fourier’s heat transfer equations. Orange, apple, grapefruit, peach, and avocado fruits, selected for these studies were subjected to …

Construction, Installation, And Performance Of Two Repacked Weighing Lysimeters, José O. Payero, Suat Irmak

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Weighing lysimeters are the standard method for directly measuring evapotranspiration (ET). This paper discusses the construction, installation, and performance of two (1.52 m × 1.52 m × 2.13-m deep) repacked weighing lysimeters for measuring ET of corn and soybean in West Central Nebraska. The cost of constructing and installing each lysimeter was approximately US $12,500, which could vary depending on the availability and cost of equipment and labor. The resolution of the lysimeters was 0.0001 mV V^-1, which was limited by the data processing and storage resolution of the datalogger. This resolution was equivalent to 0.064 and 0.078 …

Variability Analyses Of Alfalfa-Reference To Grass-Reference Evapotranspiration Ratios In Growing And Dormant Seasons, Suat Irmak, Ayse Kilic, T. A. Howell, Derrel Martin, J. O. Payero, K. S. Copeland

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Alfalfa-reference evapotranspiration (ET_r) values sometimes need to be converted to grass-reference ET (ET_o), or vice versa, to enable crop coefficients developed for one reference surface to be used with the other. However, guidelines to make these conversions are lacking. The objectives of this study were to: (1) develop ET_r to ET_o ratios (K_r values) for different climatic regions for the growing season and nongrowing (dormant) seasons; and (2) determine the seasonal behavior of K_r values between the locations and in the same location for different seasons. Monthly average K_r values …

Surface Polyethylene Glycol Enhances Substrate-Mediated Gene Delivery By Nonspecifically Immobilized Complexes, Angela K. Pannier, Julie A. Wieland, Lonnie D Shea

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Substrate-mediated gene delivery describes the immobilization of gene therapy vectors to a biomaterial, which enhances gene transfer by exposing adhered cells to elevated DNA concentrations within the local microenvironment. Surface chemistry has been shown to affect transfection by nonspecifically immobilized complexes using self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of alkanethiols on gold. In this report, SAMs were again used to provide a controlled surface to investigate whether the presence of oligo(ethylene glycol) (EG) groups in a SAM could affect complex morphology and enhance transfection. EG groups were included at percentages that did not affect cell adhesion. Nonspecific complex immobilization to SAMs containing combinations …

A Mobile Ecg Monitoring System With Context Collection, Jin Peng Li

Masters

An objective of a health process is one where patients can stay healthy with the support of expert medical advice when they need it, at any location and any time. An associated aim would be the development of a system which places increased emphasis on preventative measures as a first point of contact with the patient. This research is a step along the road towards this type of preventative healthcare for cardiac patients. It seeks to develop a smart mobile ECG monitoring system that requests and records context information about what is happening around the subject when an arrhythmia event …

Analytical Modeling With Decoupled Optimal Control Of Biomechanical Sit -To -Stand Movement, Asif Mahmood Mughal

Theses and Dissertations

Biomechanical movements with multiple degrees of freedom exhibit complex coordination and control mechanisms in the presence of physiological constraints. A human body biomechanical model which can mimic diverse 3D physiological movements is a challenging task. In this study, we develop a mathematical framework to study human sit-to-stand (STS) movement using 2D biomechanical models. This analytical framework models the physiological system for feedback controller design. A 2D 4-segment biomechanical model with optimal feedback controller design provides a motivation to extend this scheme for analytical 3D bipedal modeling. We used a newly developed mathematical modeling toolbox (Maple’s DynaFlexPro) to generate 3D 8-segment …

Pyrene Fate Affected By Humic Acid Amendment In Soil Slurry Systems, Y. Liang, D. Sorensen, Ronald C. Sims, Joan Mclean

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Background

Humic acid (HA) has been found to affect the solubility, mineralization, and bound residue formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). However, most of the studies on the interaction between HA and PAH concentrated on one or two of the three phases. Few studies have provided a simple protocol to demonstrate the overall effects of HA on PAH distribution in soil systems for all three phases.

Methods

In this study, three doses of standard Elliott soil HA (ESHA), 15, 187.5, and 1,875 μg ESHA/g soil slurry, were amended to soil slurry systems. ¹⁴C-pyrene was added to the systems along …

The Power Of Soil: Using It To Our Advantage, Judith L. Sims, R. Otis

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Electromyographic Characterization In An Animal Model Of Dystonia, Kunal Dilip Chaniary

Theses and Dissertations

Kernicterus causes damage to the auditory system and the basal ganglia in humans. Although the Gunn rat model of kernicterus has been extensively used to characterize the auditory features, this model has not been utilized to systematically investigate the movement disorder. In the present study, spontaneously jaundiced (jj) 16 day old Gunn rat pups were treated with sulfadimethoxine to exacerbate bilirubin neurotoxicity and compared to saline treated jjs and non-jaundiced (Nj) littermates. Electromyographic (EMG) activity was recorded from antagonistic hip muscles in dystonic and in normal appearing rats. Raw EMG signals were decomposed using the Discrete Wavelet Transform based multi-resolution …

Site-Specific Effects Of Pecam-1 On Atherosclerosis In Ldl Receptor-Deficient Mice, Shikha Arora, Brian Boylan, Reema Goel, Benjamin R. Schrank, Barbara Fleming, Rose Ann Fleming, Hiroto Mirura, Peter J. Newman, Robert C. Molthen, Debra K. Newman

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Objective—Atherosclerosis is a vascular disease that involves lesion formation at sites of disturbed flow under the influence of genetic and environmental factors. Endothelial expression of adhesion molecules that enable infiltration of immune cells is important for lesion development. Platelet/endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1; CD31) is an adhesion and signaling receptor expressed by many cells involved in atherosclerotic lesion development. PECAM-1 transduces signals required for proinflammatory adhesion molecule expression at atherosusceptible sites; thus, it is predicted to be proatherosclerotic. PECAM-1 also inhibits inflammatory responses, on which basis it is predicted to be atheroprotective.

Methods and Results—We evaluated herein the effect of …

Acceleration Of The Maturation Of Tissue Engineered Grafts By Dynamic Force Stimulation Or Gene Therapy, Shila Taylor

All Theses

Over 16 million people suffer from osteoarthritis (OA). As the body ages OA and other cartilage diseases create an imbalance of anabolic and catabolic cell activities in cartilage and or over time the cartilage is damaged and wears away which creates lesion that resulting in pain. Most clinical surgeries are either temporary or have not gone through trials to test their success. For a long term solution researchers have been looking at replacing cartilage with a tissue engineered graft. One of the major problems to date has been is the strength of the scaffold.
Natural cartilage needs loading for its …

N-Glycan Modification In Aspergillus Species, Elke Kainz, Andreas Gallmetzer, Christian Hatzl, Juergen H. Nett, Huijuan Li, Thorsten Schinko, Robert Pachlinger, Harald Berger, Yazmid Reyes-Dominguez, Andreas Bernreiter, Tillmann Gerngross, Stefan Wildt, Joseph Strauss

Dartmouth Scholarship

The production by filamentous fungi of therapeutic glycoproteins intended for use in mammals is held back by the inherent difference in protein N-glycosylation and by the inability of the fungal cell to modify proteins with mammalian glycosylation structures. Here, we report protein N-glycan engineering in two Aspergillus species. We functionally expressed in the fungal hosts heterologous chimeric fusion proteins containing different localization peptides and catalytic domains. . This strategy allowed the isolation of a strain with a functional -1,2-mannosidase producing increased amounts of N-glycans of the Man 5 GlcNAc 2 type. This strain was further engineered by the introduction of …

Optical Force Based Cancer Cell Identification, Justin Roman

All Theses

We present the basis of a novel, non-invasive technique for cell diagnostics which utilizes the optical force generated by a weakly focused laser beam to distinguish cells based on their size, structure, composition, and membrane properties. Cell populations of different types, biological states or with different treatments can be studied. This research focuses on two particular instances where other methods of cell sorting, such as those that require fluorescent markers, are not ideal. What's more, this research emphasizes the ability to sort morphologically similar cells that are identical to the naked eye, but phenotypically different on the molecular level. The …