Engineering Commons^™

Eastern Michigan University Graduate Catalog, 2014-2015, Office Of The Registrar

Graduate Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Measuring Pain Withdrawal Threshold Using A Novel Device In "Pseudo-Continuous" Mode, A. H. Walker, S. Thurman, N. Martinez, S. Burns, M. Dobretsov

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The study of pain and analgesia is an important area of biomedical research that has led to a significant number of advances in the treatment of acute and chronic pain. This study introduces a novel approach to mechanical testing of pain withdrawal of a rat hind paw to a stimulus. This systematic method involves a modified electronic esthesiometer controlled by an IDEA drive that allows for consistency in experiments. The device gives the experimenter computer control of the step size and velocity of approach of the probe stimulus. We discuss here some of the limitations in the current techniques used …

Delivery Of Interleukin-15 To B16 Melanoma By Electroporation Leads To Tumor Regression And Long-Term Survival, Bernadette Marrero, Shawna Shirley, Richard Heller

Bioelectrics Publications

Electroporation (EP) is a method used to physically deliver therapeutic molecules such as plasmid DNA directly to tissues. It has been used safely and successfully in clinical studies and preclinical cancer models to deliver genes to a variety of tissues. In cancer research cytokine therapy is emerging as a promising tool that can be used to boost the host response to tumor antigens. The delivery of cytokines as recombinant proteins can result in toxicity and other adverse effects; however the delivery of cytokine genes using EP has been shown to be safe and effective. Interleukin 15 (IL-15) is a cytokine …

Temporal Modulation Of Plasma Species In Atmospheric Dielectric Barrier Discharges, Aijun Yang, Xiaohua Wang, Dingxin Liu, Mingzhe Rong, Michael G. Kong

Bioelectrics Publications

The atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge in helium is a pulsed discharge in nature and the moment of maximum species densities is almost consistent with peak discharge current density. In this paper, a one-dimensional fluid model is used to investigate the temporal structure of plasma species in an atmospheric He-N₂ dielectric barrier discharge (DBD). It is demonstrated that there exist microsecond delays of the moments of the maximum electron and ion densities from the peak of discharge current density. These time delays are caused by a competition between the electron impact and Penning ionizations, modulated by the N_{2 …}

The Journal Of Undergraduate Research: Volume 12

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

This is the complete issue of the South Dakota State University Journal of Undergraduate Research, Volume 12.

Wonder-Worlds Of Words, Sandra A. Yocum

Theology and Religious Studies Faculty Publications

An essay on the impact of the works in the Imprints and Impressions: Milestones in Human Progress, an exhibition of rare books from the collection of Stuart Rose. Exhibition was held Sept. 29-Nov. 9, 2014, at the University of Dayton.

Exhibition Catalogue — Imprints And Impressions: Milestones In Human Progress, Paul H. Benson, Sandra A. Yocum, Mark Masthay, Donald J. Polzella

Supplemental Media

Exhibition catalogue for Imprints and Impressions: Milestones in Human Progress — Highlights from the Rose Rare Book Collection. Includes an introduction by Kathleen M. Webb, dean of University Libraries; essays about the impact of the exhibition's books on modern inquiry, the humanities, the sciences, and the social sciences; and photographs of the works in the exhibit.

Exposure Assessment And Risk Management Of Engineered Nanoparticles : Investigation In Semiconductor Wafer Processing, Michele Shepard

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are currently used in hundreds of commercial products and industrial processes, with more applications being investigated. Nanomaterials have unique properties that differ from bulk materials. While these properties may enable technological advancements, the potential risks of ENMs to people and the environment are not yet fully understood. Certain low solubility nanoparticles are more toxic than their bulk material, such that existing occupational exposure limits may not be sufficiently protective for workers. Risk assessments are currently challenging due to gaps in data on the numerous emerging materials and applications as well as method uncertainties and limitations.

Pretreatment Of Scenedesmus Sp. Biomass As A Potential Anaerobic Digestion Substrate, Xinyi E, Czarena Crofcheck

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Algal biomass can be a potential substrate for anaerobic digestion. However, raw algae cells show a resistance to biological degradation, resulting in a slower methane production rate. Varying thermal and chemical pretreatments of algal biomass were investigated in an attempt to increase soluble organic matter (SOM) yield, which would result in enhanced methane production during subsequent anaerobic digestion. Scenedesmus sp. was harvested using three different procedures: with flocculation, with flocculation and drying, and without flocculation or drying. For all pretreatments and algae types, fluorescence micrographs were obtained to visually confirm the degradation of the algal cell walls. A complete 2 …

Eastern Michigan University Undergraduate Catalog, 2014-2015, Office Of The Registrar

Undergraduate Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Autologous Platelet Rich Plasma (Platelet Gel): An Appropriate Intervention For Salvaging Cardiac Myocytes Under Oxidative Stress After Myocardial Infarction, Barbara Y. Hargrave

Bioelectrics Publications

Background: The prompt restoration of blood flow (reperfusion) to the ischemic myocardium after an acute myocardial infarction is critical to the survival of non damaged heart tissue. However, reperfusion is responsible for additional myocardial damage. Our objective was to investigate the role of autologous platelet rich plasma or platelet gel prepared using nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEFs) in improving left ventricular mechanical function after ischemic reperfusion.

Methods: The hearts of nine adult female New Zealand White rabbits were perfused using the Langendorff model. The hearts were exposed to global ischemia for 30 min and reperfused for 60 min. The hearts …

Bioengineered Hearts, Rivky Loeb

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Heart disease is one of the highest causes for fatality in the world. Although many such diseases can be treated by a heart transplant, this in itself can cause countless problems. Aside from the high demand for donor hearts, there is the risk of the patient’s immune system rejecting the transplanted heart. A bioengineered heart would reduce the need for donor hearts, and thus save countless lives. Finding a suitable scaffold, obtaining appropriate cells, and ensuring that the tissue will function properly are the main focuses in creating an artificial heart. While most of the studies done have been concentrated …

Art Or Science?, Allison Marsh

Section 3: Imaging the Fast Moving

No abstract provided.

Bioerodible Calcium Sulfate Bone Grafting Substitutes With Tailored Drug Delivery Capabilities, Bryan R. Orellana

Theses and Dissertations--Biomedical Engineering

Bone regeneration or augmentation is often required prior to or concomitant with implant placement. With the limitations of many existing technologies, a biologically compatible synthetic bone grafting substitute that is osteogenic, bioerodible, and provides spacing-making functionality while acting as a drug delivery vehicle for bioactive molecules could provide an alternative to ‘gold standard’ techniques.

In the first part of this work, calcium sulfate (CS) space-making synthetic bone grafts with uniformly embedded poly(β-amino ester) (PBAE) biodegradable hydrogel particles was developed to allow controlled release of bioactive agents. The embedded gel particles’ influence on the physical and chemical characteristics of CS was …

Quantification Of Factors Governing Drug Release Kinetics From Nanoparticles: A Combined Experimental And Mechanistic Modeling Approach, Kyle Daniel Fugit

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Advancements in nanoparticle drug delivery of anticancer agents require mathematical models capable of predicting in vivo formulation performance from in vitro characterization studies. Such models must identify and incorporate the physicochemical properties of the therapeutic agent and nanoparticle driving in vivo drug release. This work identifies these factors for two nanoparticle formulations of anticancer agents using an approach which develops mechanistic mathematical models in conjunction with experimental studies.

A non-sink ultrafiltration method was developed to monitor liposomal release kinetics of the anticancer agent topotecan. Mathematical modeling allowed simultaneous determination of drug permeability and interfacial binding to the bilayer from release …

Cervical Cancer Histology Image Feature Extraction And Classification, Peng Guo

Masters Theses

"Cervical cancer, the second most common cancer affecting women worldwide and the most common in developing countries can be cured if detected early and treated. Expert pathologists routinely visually examine histology slides for cervix tissue abnormality assessment. In previous research, an automated, localized, fusion-based approach was investigated for classifying squamous epithelium into Normal, CIN1, CIN2, and CIN3 grades of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) based on image analysis of 62 digitized histology images obtained through the National Library of Medicine. In this research, CIN grade assessments from two pathologists are analyzed and are used to facilitate atypical cell concentration feature development …

A Backing Device Based On An Embedded Stiffener And Retractable Insertion Tool For Thin-Film Cochlear Arrays, Radheshyam Tewari

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Intracochlear trauma from surgical insertion of bulky electrode arrays and inadequate pitch perception are areas of concern with current hand-assembled commercial cochlear implants. Parylene thin-film arrays with higher electrode densities and lower profiles are a potential solution, but lack rigidity and hence depend on manually fabricated permanently attached polyethylene terephthalate (PET) tubing based bulky backing devices. As a solution, we investigated a new backing device with two sub-systems. The first sub-system is a thin poly(lactic acid) (PLA) stiffener that will be embedded in the parylene array. The second sub-system is an attaching and detaching mechanism, utilizing a poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone)-block-poly(d,l-lactide) (PVP-b-PDLLA) copolymer-based …

Use Of An Electrical Impedance Tomography Method To Detect And Track Fractures In A Gelatin Medium, Evan G. Lucas

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Electrical impedance tomography is applied to the problem of detecting, locating, and tracking fractures in ballistics gelatin. The hardware developed is intended to be physically robust and based on off-the-shelf hardware. Fractures were created in two separate ways: by shooting a .22 caliber bullet into the gelatin and by injecting saline solution into the gelatin. The .22 caliber bullet created an air gap, which was seen as an increase in resistivity. The saline solution created a fluid filled gap, which was seen as a decrease in resistivity. A double linear array was used to take data for each of the …

Injury Prevention With Physical Therapy, Karen Kott, Margaret F. Lemaster

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

(First paragraph) Ergonomics is the study of human performance (positioning and movement) and workplace design, such as equipment, ambience, and placement. The purpose of ergonomics is to maximize productivity by increasing safety, improving work quality, reducing operator fatigue and discomfort, and decreasing the risk of work -related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).^1-3

Empirical Models Of Scalp-Eeg Responses Using Non-Concurrent Intracranial Responses, Komalpreet Kaur, Jerry J. Shih, Dean J. Krusienski

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Objective- This study presents inter-subject models of scalp-recorded electroencephalographic (sEEG) event-related potentials (ERPs) using intracranially recorded ERPs from electrocorticography and stereotactic depth electrodes in the hippocampus, generally termed as intracranial EEG (iEEG).

Approach- The participants were six patients with medically-intractable epilepsy that underwent temporary placement of intracranial electrode arrays to localize seizure foci. Participants performed one experimental session using a brain-computer interface matrix spelling paradigm controlled by sEEG prior to the iEEG electrode implantation, and one or more identical sessions controlled by iEEG after implantation. All participants were able to achieve excellent spelling accuracy using sEEG, four of the participants …

Effects Of Sodium Hydroxide Pretreatment On Structural Components Of Biomass, Alicia A. Modenbach, Sue E. Nokes

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Pretreatment is a unit operation in the conversion of biomass to valuable products that utilizes various combinations of conditions, including chemicals, heat, pressure, and time, to reduce the recalcitrance of lignocellulose. Many such pretreatments have been developed over the years, as the operating conditions can be adapted so that lignocellulose is modified in ways unique to each pretreatment. By tailoring pretreatment conditions to achieve these modifications, the types of final products produced can be controlled. The purpose of this review is to provide a consolidated source of information for sodium hydroxide effects on lignocellulose. The structural characteristics of lignocellulose and …

Evaluation Of Tissue-Engineered Tendon Enthesis Polymer Constructs, Joshua A. Bundy Bs, Mary Beth Wade Phd, Hitomi Nakao Md, Phillip Mcclellan Phd, Qing Yu Phd, Robin Jacquet-Childs Ms, William J. Landis Phd

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Both scientists and clinicians have proposed tissue engineering as the future of medicine. The possibilities for tissue engineering, that is, fabrication of tissues and organs in the laboratory and their translation to patients, appear to be endless, and many believe that this new approach in medicine will result in abolishing many common ailments, injuries, and congenital defects. Injuries to a tendon enthesis, the normal tissue connection between tendon and bone, are of particular concern to clinicians because of their frequency and failure to repair as a result of surgery. While these injuries may not be life threatening, they can certainly …

Examining The Role Of Attention In Steering Using A Dual Task Paradigm, Venkata Naga Pradeep Ambati

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Changing the direction of locomotion, often referred to as "steering", is an integral component of human locomotion. Steering requires maintaining dynamic balance while translating and rotating the body in the new travel direction. Given the level of sensation thought to be involved in sub serving goal directed modifications in steering, it is highly likely that steering control may require attention. Since attention resources decline with increasing age, we may see the influence of age on steering performance when attention resources are limited. Therefore, this study sought to investigate the role of attention in steering using a dual task paradigm in …

Direct Classification Of All American English Phonemes Using Signals From Functional Speech Motor Cortex, Emily M. Mugler, James L. Patton, Robert D. Flint, Zachary A. Wright, Stephan U. Schuele, Joshua Rosenow, Jerry J. Shih, Dean J. Krusienski, Marc W. Slutzky

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Although brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) can be used in several different ways to restore communication, communicative BCI has not approached the rate or efficiency of natural human speech. Electrocorticography (ECoG) has precise spatiotemporal resolution that enables recording of brain activity distributed over a wide area of cortex, such as during speech production. In this study, we investigated words that span the entire set of phonemes in the General American accent using ECoG with 4 subjects. We classified phonemes with up to 36% accuracy when classifying all phonemes and up to 63% accuracy for a single phoneme. Further, misclassified phonemes follow articulation …

Dynamic Aspects Of Articulating With A Virtual Vocal Tract In Dysarthria, Jeffrey J. Berry, Cassandra North, Michael T. Johnson

Speech Pathology and Audiology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Ambulatory Extracorporeal Arterioveous Co2 Removal Via Subclavian Vessels, Alejandra Macias, Alvaro Rojas-Pena

McNair Poster Presentations

Lung transplantation is the last recourse for patients with severe respiratory failure. However, transplantable lungs do not keep up with the demand, and 15.4% of patients die awaiting transplant. An alternative therapy is extracorporeal life support (ECLS), which uses a pump and an oxygenator to serve as a bridge to transplant. However, this technology limits ambulation and requires ICU care. This novel study implements pumpless arteriovenous (AV) ECLS technology to remove CO2 via the subclavian vessels, providing respiratory support and hypercapnia (excessive CO2 retention) sympton relief for patients while allowing ambulation.

Automated Classification Of Malignant Melanoma Based On Detection Of Atypical Pigment Network In Dermoscopy Images Of Skin Lesions, Nabin K. Mishra

Doctoral Dissertations

“Melanoma causes more deaths than any other form of skin cancer. Early melanoma detection is important to prevent progression to a more deadly stage. Automated computer-based identification of melanoma from dermoscopic images of skin lesions is the most efficient method in early diagnosis. An automated melanoma identification system must include multiple steps, involving lesion segmentation, feature extraction, feature combination and classification. In this research, a classifier-based approach for automatically selecting a lesion border mask for segmentation of dermoscopic skin lesion images is presented. A logistic regression based model selects a single lesion border mask from multiple border masks generated by …

Android-Based Smartphone Application Simulation And Systematic Design To Reduce Medication Administration Error In Prehospital Emergency Care., Natalie Vazquez

Theses and Dissertations

Since 1999 when the report To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System was released, medical errors have come into focus (Kohn, 2000). In an effort to reduce medication administration errors in prehospital emergency care, an android-based smartphone application simulation was created. The app has components including QR barcode scanning, text to speech for medication cross-checking, weight-based medication dose calculations, and time stamped medication data wirelessly transferring to a database in real-time. Color standard identification was implemented, aiding to a designed systematic process for patient treatment to reduce medication errors. Direct observation was performed of emergency patient calls with …

A Nonrigid Registration Method For Correcting Brain Deformation Induced By Tumor Resection, Yixun Liu, Chengjun Yao, Fotis Drakopoulos, Jinsong Wu, Liangfu Zhou, Nikos Chrisochoides

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Purpose: This paper presents a nonrigid registration method to align preoperative MRI with intraoperative MRI to compensate for brain deformation during tumor resection. This method extends traditional point-based nonrigid registration in two aspects: (1) allow the input data to be incomplete and (2) simulate the underlying deformation with a heterogeneous biomechanical model.

Methods: The method formulates the registration as a three-variable (point correspondence, deformation field, and resection region) functional minimization problem, in which point correspondence is represented by a fuzzy assign matrix; Deformation field is represented by a piecewise linear function regularized by the strain energy of a heterogeneous biomechanical …

Dilute-Acid-Extractable Phosphorus, Arsenic, And Selenium In Weathered And Fresh Coal Fly Ash, Chris Wilbanks, Kristofor Brye, David Miller

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Fly ash is a byproduct of the combustion of coal, primarily by coal-fired power plants. Over 97.8 million tonnes of fly ash are produced each year in the United States. Fly ash can contain trace elements in concentrations that can cause health risks. Recent spills have highlighted that fly ash disposal is problematic. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of fly-ash type (fresh and weathered) from a local coal-burning power plant and extraction time (2 and 6 h) on dilute-acid extractable concentrations of phosphorus (P), arsenic (As), and selenium (Se). Ash samples were extracted with 0.1 …