Engineering Commons^™

Investigating Myosin Ensemble Force Generation Using Optical Tweezers, Janie Watts

Honors Theses

Myosin is a motor protein that facilitates muscle contraction and movement by stepping along actin filaments using energy from ATP hydrolysis. If myosin or other motors are disrupted throughout the body, it can have many harmful effects. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a disease caused by gene mutations that affect myosin heavy chains in the heart. The tissue of the heart becomes abnormally thick, which can make it more difficult to pump blood or block blood flow out of the heart. Our goal is to discern the mechanistic difference function of a healthy and diseased heart. To accomplish this, we construct model …

Pole Placement Of Linear Multidimensional Systems Using Unlimited Rank Output Feedback, Jasur Usmonovich Sevinov, Okila Khusanovna Boeva

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

The problem of placing poles in linear multidimensional systems using a feedback matrix of unlimited rank is considered. The effect of output feedback of indefinite rank of the characteristic polynomial of a system with several variables is studied. The results are then used to obtain a recurrent pole placement algorithm without any restrictions on the rank of the output feedback matrix used. The algorithm is based on the pseudo-inverse concept of obtaining solutions to systems of linear equations using the least squares method and is computationally efficient.

Poly(Ether Imide)S: Synthesis And Properties, Rachel Price

Honors College Theses

The synthesis of strong polymers is crucial to the creation of heat-resistant, durable, and mechanically useful plastics that we use every day. Poly(ether imide)s are used in applications such as food service, aerospace, automotive, and many more. This thesis will discuss the synthesis and properties of these plastics to help express a larger understanding of these polymers.

Lunar In-Situ Aluminum Production Through Molten Salt Electrolysis (Lisap-Mse), Jacob Ortega, Jeffrey D. Smith, Fateme Rezaei, David Bayless, William P. Schonberg, Daniel S. Stutts, Daoru Frank Han

NASA-Missouri Space Grant Consortium

The goal of Artemis is to establish a sustained presence on the Moon. To achieve so, numerous resources are necessary. The Moon contains several essential elements needed to sustain human presence. Most of those elements are trapped in the form of minerals. To refine those minerals into useful materials, reduction methods are needed. Most reduction methods on Earth require large amounts of mass and power which is unrealistic for early stages of building a lunar base. To solve this problem, we are developing a concept of Lunar In-Situ Aluminum Production through Molten Salt Electrolysis (LISAP-MSE).

The LISAP-MSE project, if successful, …

Semi-Differentiation Of Reversible, Soluble-Insoluble Potential Sweep Voltammograms, Tyler Williams, Ranon Fuller, Cameron Vann, Devin Rappleye

Faculty Publications

Semi-differentiation, or convolution as it is sometimes known, is a mathematical technique commonly used to disentangle overlapping peaks in cyclic or linear sweep voltammograms. However, this technique is often misapplied due to misunderstandings of fractional calculus. Additionally, rigorous treatment and validation of the theory of semi-differential analysis of reversible, soluble-insoluble electrochemical reactions is lacking. Peculiarities of semi-differentiation are explored; theoretical relations for semi-differentiated voltammograms are given; the exponential nature of the theoretical curve is explored; theoretical relations are compared to experimental voltammograms for AgNO₃ in 1 M nitric acid at 298 K, NiCl₂ in LiCl at 974 K, …

The Impact Of Solution Ionic Strength, Hardness, And Ph On The Sorption Efficiency Of Polychlorinated Biphenyls In Magnetic Nanocomposite Microparticle (Mnm) Gels, Angela M. Gutierrez, Thomas D. Dziubla, J. Zach Hilt

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Environmental conditions of groundwater and surface water greatly vary as a function of location. Factors such as ionic strength, water hardness, and solution pH can change the physical and chemical properties of the nanocomposites used in remediation and the pollutants of interest. In this work, magnetic nanocomposite microparticle (MNM) gels are used as sorbents for remediation of PCB 126 as model organic contaminant. Three MNM systems are used: curcumin multiacrylate MNMs (CMA MNMs), quercetin multiacrylate MNMs (QMA MNMs), and polyethylene glycol-400-dimethacrylate MNMs (PEG MNMs). The effect of ionic strength, water hardness, and pH were studied on the sorption efficiency of …

Air Pre-Heat System Optimization For Flash Dryers, Sophia Louden

Honors Theses

Primient, a leading producer of food and industrial ingredients made from plant-based, renewable sources is the industrial sponsor for this project. The company is currently using Plate & Frame Heat exchangers to heat up a 40% by-weight glycol and water solution that is then used to preheat the incoming ambient air. Glycol is being added to reduce the risks of freezing in the system during the winter season. It is important to highlight that this fact affects the heat transfer properties of the liquid overall. Since air heating is a highly energy-demanding process, an outlet stream of hot water produced …

Api Drying And Packaging Technology Upgrades, Destiny Washington

Honors Theses

Certain classes of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) require higher levels of containment during handling. This project explores upgrades and new technology to improve currently used systems. The upgrades will include containment during drying and packaging while maintaining required ergonomic, industrial health, and GMP requirements. Design of this system and a full economic analysis have been performed for these upgrades.

This project details the profits and costs that are associated with the conversion of the API drying process from a batch process to a semi continuous process using an agitated thin film evaporator. The implementation of the new equipment is expected …

Conversion Of Biomass To Bio-Fuel Using Fast Pyrolysis With Companion Coal Gasification, Nicholas Hayes

Honors Theses

The objective for this design is to determine the economic benefits of using soybeans to combine biomass pyrolysis with coal pyrolysis processes to reduce the complexity and cost of producing bio-oils. Biomass is produced in multiple industries and is converted to a usable fuel substitute for petroleum. There will be many methods to analyse the pros and cons which will be used for comparison of biomass to bio-oils reactors system which in this case would be soybeans vs coal gasification.

After thorough research, the team selected a fluidized bed reactor as the main equipment for the fast pyrolysis. The reactor …

Cobalt Oxide Functionalized Ceramic Membrane For 4-Hydroxybenzoic Acid Degradation Via Peroxymonosulfate Activation, Rajan Arjan Kalyan Hirani, Hong Wu, Abdul Hannan Asif, Nasir Rafique, Lei Shi, Shu Zhang, Zhentao Wu, Lai-Chang Zhang, Shaobin Wang, Yu Yin, Martin Saunders, Hongqi Sun

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Membrane separation and sulfate radicals-based advanced oxidation processes (SR-AOPs) can be combined as an efficient technique for the elimination of organic pollutants. The immobilization of metal oxide catalysts on ceramic membranes can enrich the membrane separation technology with catalytic oxidation avoiding recovering suspended catalysts. Herein, nanostructured Co₃O₄ ceramic catalytic membranes with different Co loadings were fabricated via a simple ball-milling and calcination process. Uniform distribution of Co₃O₄ nanoparticles in the membrane provided sufficient active sites for catalytic oxidation of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (HBA). Mechanistic studies were conducted to determine the reactive radicals and showed that …

Influence Of Henna Extracts On Static And Dynamic Adsorption Of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate And Residual Oil Recovery From Quartz Sand, Mohd Syazwan Mohd Musa, Priveqa Yaashini Gopalan, Nurudeen Yekeen, Ahmed Al-Yaseri

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The application of surfactant flooding for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) promotes hydrocarbon recovery through reduction of oil-water interfacial tension and alteration of oil-wet rock wettability into the water-wet state. Unfortunately, surfactant depletion in porous media, due to surfactant molecule adsorption and retention, adversely affects oil recovery, thus increasing the cost of the surfactant flooding process. Chemical-based materials are normally used as inhibitors or sacrificial agents to minimize surfactant adsorption, but they are quite expensive and not environmentally friendly. Plant-based materials (henna extracts) are far more sustainable because they are obtained from natural sources. However, there is limited research on the …

Corrosion Case Study On Automobile, Grace Ajayi, Xinran Pan, Geethu Sasikala, Marshall S. Yang

Chemistry Publications

No abstract provided.

Dynamic And Equilibrium Contribution Of Nematic Order In Wetting And Contact Angles, Partho Neogi, Xianjie Qiu, Amer Al-Shareef

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A Model for the Dynamic Contact Angles and the Spreading Kinetics of Nematic Liquid Crystals on a Solid Surface is Presented for the First Time using the Continuum Theory of Liquid Crystals. the Equations of Motion for This System Are Integrated for a Wedge or a Drop that is Thin and Moves Slowly. the Dynamic Contact Angle is Found to Depend on the Capillary Number that Represents the Importance of Viscocapillarity and on the Elasticity Number that is the Ratio between the Elastic and Surface Forces. the Model Provides an Explanation for the Extra Volume Dependence that is Reported in …

Mitochondrial Complex Iii Bypass Complex I To Induce Ros In Gpr17 Signaling Activation In Gbm, Sana Kari, Jeyalakshmi Kandhavelu, Akshaya Murugesan, Ramesh Thiyagarajan, Srivatsan Kidambi, Meenakshisundaram Kandhavelu

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

Guanine nucleotide binding protein (G protein) coupled receptor 17 (GPR17) plays crucial role in Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cell signaling and is primarily associated with reactive oxidative species (ROS) production and cell death. However, the underlying mechanisms by which GPR17 regulates ROS level and mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) complexes are still unknown. Here, we investigate the novel link between the GPR17 receptor and ETC complex I and III in regulating level of intracellular ROS (ROSi) in GBM using pharmacological inhibitors and gene expression profiling. Incubation of 1321N1 GBM cells with ETC I inhibitor and GPR17 agonist decreased the ROS level, …

Design And Synthesis Of Plasmonic Nanoparticles For Nir Bioimaging: Investigating The Role Of Absorption And Scattering, Luis Dias Bumba Manuel

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Nanoparticles have made vast advances in the realm of nanomedicine and bioimaging, enabling technologies such as photothermal therapy of malignant tumors and noninvasive monitoring of living tissue. Many of these innovations have only arisen in the last few decades with potential for growth in many avenues. The research shown in this work addresses some of the existing literature's void. Particularly solving synthesis challenges that have existed for more than 20 years in synthesizing Au nanoshells and establishing the potential for molecular-level deep imaging of plants. A novel investigation of the role of light absorption and scattering in bioimaging led to …

Beirut Arab University - Faculty Of Engineering - Newsletter Issue 0, Faculty Of Engineering, Beirut Arab University

Engineering Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Estimating Aquifer System Storage Loss With Water Levels, Pumping And Insar Data In The Parowan Valley, Utah, Ryan G. Smith, Jiawei Li, Katherine R. Grote, Jim Butler

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In the Parowan Valley of Utah, Groundwater Levels Have Declined by as Much as 30 M over the Past 50 Years with Accompanying Subsidence Rates of Up to 5 Cm/year. Traditional Methods to Estimate Groundwater Storage Change Use a Combination of Groundwater Level and Storativity Estimates, But There is Often Considerable Uncertainty in These. in This Study, We Demonstrate a New Method that Relies on a Combination of Geodetic Data from InSAR, as Well as Groundwater Level and Pumping Data, to Estimate Both the Total Groundwater Storage Loss and the Percentages of Storage Loss in Fine- and Coarse-Grained Layers within …

Organic Matter Assessment And Paleoenvironmental Changes Of The Middle Jurassic Main Source Rocks (Khatatba Formation) In The North Western Desert, Egypt: Palynofacies And Palynomorph Perspectives, Ahmed Mansour, Sameh S. Tahoun, Aya Raafat, Mohamed S. Ahmed, Francisca Oboh-Ikuenobe, Thomas Gentzis, Xiugen Fu

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Middle Jurassic in the north Western Desert, Egypt, was a time of complex tectonics and increased environmental perturbations attributed to the predominant sedimentation of organic carbon-rich fine siliciclastic and carbonate deposits of the Khatatba Formation. Although some studies have addressed the hydrocarbon potential and source rock characteristics of the Khatatba Formation, a regional-scale investigation of the prevalent paleoenvironmental conditions and organic matter characteristics is still necessary. In this study, the Khatatba Formation is investigated for detailed palynofacies analysis and palynomorph composition to assess organic matter kerogen types and reconstruct the depositional paleoenvironmental patterns on a regional scale. For this …

Improving Wastewater-Based Epidemiology Performance Through Streamlined Automation, Mohammad Dehghan Banadaki, Soroosh Torabi, William Strike, Ann Noble, James W. Keck, Scott M. Berry

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has enabled us to describe Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections in populations. However, implementation of wastewater monitoring of SARS- CoV-2 is limited due to the need for expert staff, expensive equipment, and prolonged processing times. As WBE increases in scope (beyond SARS-CoV-2) and scale (beyond developed regions), there is a need to make WBE processes simpler, cheaper, and faster. We developed an automated workflow based on a simplified method termed exclusion-based sample preparation (ESP). Our automated workflow takes 40 min from raw wastewater to purified RNA, which is several times faster than conventional WBE …

Mathematical Analysis Of Electrochemical Systems, Shiv Krishna Reddy Madi Reddy

Theses and Dissertations

A solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) growth model is developed in a mixed modethat contains solvent diffusion through the SEI layer and corresponding solvent reduction kinetics at the SEI/electrode interface. The governing equations are solved by the Landau transformation, which makes the moving layer fixed to predict the open circuit potential, SEI layer thickness, and capacity loss. The estimated parameters fitted with experimental data from the literature are computed using COMSOL and MATLAB. Results show that the mixed mode model predicts lower capacity loss and thinner SEI layer due to its growth under open circuit conditions than previously reported by others. …

Biodegradable Preformed Particle Gel (Ppg) Made Of Natural Chitosan Material For Water Shut-Off Application, Reem Elaf, Ahmed Ben Ali, Mohammed Saad, Ibnelwaleed A. Hussein, Hassan Nimir, Baojun Bai

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Oil and Gas Extraction Frequently Produces Substantial Volumes of Produced Water, Leading to Several Mechanical and Environmental Issues. Several Methods Have Been Applied over Decades, Including Chemical Processes Such as In-Situ Crosslinked Polymer Gel and Preformed Particle Gel, Which Are the Most Effective Nowadays. This Study Developed a Green and Biodegradable PPG Made of PAM and Chitosan as a Blocking Agent for Water Shutoff, Which Will Contribute to Combating the Toxicity of Several Commercially Used PPGs. the Applicability of Chitosan to Act as a Crosslinker Has Been Confirmed by FTIR Spectroscopy and Observed by Scanning Electron Microscopy. Extensive Swelling Capacity …

Laboratory Comparative Study Of Anionic And Cationic High-Viscosity Friction Reducers In Moderate To Extremely High Total Dissolved Solids Environments, Xiaojing Ge, Abdulmohsin Imqam

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

High-Viscosity Friction Reducers (HVFRs) Have Been Recently Gaining More Attention and Increasing in Use, Not Only as Friction-Reducing Agents But Also as Proppant Carriers. Reusing Produced Water Has Also Been Driven by Both Environmental and Economic Benefits. Currently, Most Friction Reducers on the Market Are Anionic Friction Reducers, Which Are Fully Compatible with Most Produced Water with Low to Medium Level of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) But Show a Significant Drop at High TDS Conditions in Terms of their Friction Reduction Performance in Most Cases. on the Contrary, Cationic Friction Reducers Are Believed to Have Better TDS Tolerance and Friction …

Targeting Lncrna Ddit4-As1 Sensitizes Triple Negative Breast Cancer To Chemotherapy Via Suppressing Of Autophagy, Ting Jiang, Jiaojiao Zhu, Shilong Jiang, Zonglin Chen, Ping Xu, Rong Gong, Changxin Zhong, Yueying Cheng, Xinyuan Sun, Wenjun Yi, Jinming Yang, Wenhu Zhou, Yan Cheng

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

In this study, it is found that the lncRNA, DNA damage inducible transcript 4 antisense RNA1 (DDIT4-AS1), is highly expressed in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines and tissues due to H3K27 acetylation in the promoter region, and promotes the proliferation, migration, and invasion of TNBC cells via activating autophagy. Mechanistically, it is shown that DDIT4-AS1 induces autophagy by stabilizing DDIT4 mRNA via recruiting the RNA binding protein AUF1 and promoting the interaction between DDIT4 mRNA and AUF1, thereby inhibiting mTOR signaling pathway. Furthermore, silencing of DDIT4-AS1 enhances the sensitivity of TNBC cells to chemotherapeutic agents such as paclitaxel both …

Hydrothermal Liquefaction Of Saccharina Latissima For The Production Of Biofuel, Mayokun A. Oke

Mechanical Engineering Theses

We performed hydrothermal liquefaction of brown macroalga (Saccharina latissima) in the presence of homogenous and heterogenous catalysts such as KOH, Na₂CO₃, Pd/C, HZSM-5, Ce/HZSM-5, and Ni/SiO₂-Al₂O₃ in hot compressed water, to investigate their effects on product yield and composition in the biocrude. To investigate hydrocarbon production, we used methanol as co-solvent (methanol-to-water 1/4 vol.%) and as the only liquefaction solvent. We carried out the experiments in a batch reactor at 330^oC and 120-130 bar, and varying temperature, algae-to-water ratio, residence time, and pretreatment method. The biocrude yields …

On Hydrophobic Deep Eutectic Solvents: Thermo-Physical Properties And Applications In Gas Solubility, Shan Khai Liew

Masters Theses

Carbon dioxide (CO2) has been widely recognized as one of the greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. GHGs cause global warming, which will bring a lot of problems and irreversible changes. To curb CO2 emissions, much effort has been done. There are many technologies available for CO2 capture, such as amine scrubbing, pressure or temperature swing adsorption, membrane separation, and many solvents and absorbents that have been proposed for CO2 capture (e.g., zeolite, silica materials, graphene, activated carbon, etc.) at every stage (pre-combustion, post-combustion, oxy-combustion). However, these materials have their own drawbacks. Hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (HDES) is a green …

The Impact Of Using Tanks For The Equalization Step On The Performance Of A Psa Process, Behnam Fakhari Kisomi

Theses and Dissertations

The pressure equalization step between two adsorption beds is a key cycle step in many pressure swing adsorption (PSA) processes. It involves connecting two beds together, or two beds and a tank as a medium. The utilization of tanks for equalization in a bed-to-tank-to-bed (BTB) configuration could be advantageous to reduce the number of beds in PSA cycle. In this study, a binary gas mixture A and B, with A more strongly adsorbed than B, was used for the investigation of Stafstrom-type PSA cycles with bed-to-bed (BB) and bed-to-tank-to-bed (BTB) equalization steps using linear isotherm and isothermal equilibrium theory. For …

New Perspectives And Insights Into Direct Epoxidation Of C3H6 Using O2 And Ag Based Catalysts And Measurement Of Active Ag Site Concentration Of Promoted Ag Catalyst For C2H4 Epoxidation By H2 Pulse Titration Over Oxygen Pre-Covered Surface, Md Masudur Rahman

Theses and Dissertations

Direct epoxidation of C₃H₆ using molecular O₂ and Ag catalysts to produce propylene oxide (PO) selectively is a long-sought goal in the field of heterogeneous catalysis. In the early 1990’s Scientists at ARCO reported promising results of 58 – 59% selectivity to PO at 3.2% conversion of C₃H₆ over an unusual composition of 54.0 wt% Ag, 2.0 wt% K⁺, 0.5 wt% Mo and balance CaCO₃. Feed additives of ethyl chloride (EtCl), nitric oxide (NO) and CO₂ were stated necessary to achieve the claimed high PO selectivities. The roles …

Development And The Use Of A New Kinetically Limited Linear Driving Force Model For Diffusion-Based Adsorptive Separations, Sulaimon Adedayo Adegunju

Theses and Dissertations

A new kinetically limited linear driving force (KLLDF) model, in terms of a modified extended Langmuir (EL) isotherm, was developed. This KLLDF model augments the equilibrium driving force in the linear driving force (LDF) model in such a way that the equilibrium loading of each component in the LDF model depends on the actual, kinetically limited, loading of the other components in a gas mixture, not their partial pressures. In contrast, the LDF model assumes the presence of a slower diffusing adsorbate in a gas mixture affects the equilibrium of a faster diffusing adsorbate in a pore structure via its …

Design Of A Tvsa Cycle For Co2 Removal From Spacecraft Cabins Using A Structured Adsorbent, Pravin Bosco Charles Antony Amalraj

Theses and Dissertations

Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) and Temperature Swing Adsorption (TSA) are some of the most used cyclic adsorption technologies that is used for separating gas components from its mixture. Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) in the International Space Station (ISS) facilitates the continuous removal of CO2 by the cyclic adsorption process. The use of structured adsorbents has drawn attention due its several advantages over traditional beaded adsorbents. This work evaluates the role of different design variables on the effective thermal conductivity of a structured adsorbent bed for its possible application in a temperature swing adsorption (TVSA) process for space applications. The …

Integrated Experimental And Dft Study Of Palladium And Nickel Metals Supported On Reducible Metallic Oxides For Selective Hydrogenation Of Alkynes And Dienes Bonds, Toyin Daniel Shittu

Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the capacity of ceria (CeO₂) to serve as a stand-alone reactive catalyst, and to act as catalyst support for different catalyst configurations. Experimental and density functional theory (DFT) approach were used to critically predict and to design ceria-containing catalysts. Ceria owes the catalytic propensity to the ability to undergo switch in the oxidation state from the +4 to +3 states. Motivated by experimental studies involving CeO₂ catalysts, defects CeO₂ surface with an oxygen vacancy (CeO2(111)_Vo) was used to explore the decomposition chemistry of methanethiol based on DFT. The potential formation pathways revealed that …