Engineering Commons^™

Transcriptomic Analysis Of A 3d Blood-Brain Barrier Model Exposed To Disturbed Fluid Flow., Nesrine Bouhrira, Brandon J Deore, Kiet A Tran, Peter Galie

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Cerebral aneurysms are more likely to form at bifurcations in the vasculature, where disturbed fluid is prevalent due to flow separation at sufficiently high Reynolds numbers. While previous studies have demonstrated that altered shear stress exerted by disturbed flow disrupts endothelial tight junctions, less is known about how these flow regimes alter gene expression in endothelial cells lining the blood-brain barrier. Specifically, the effect of disturbed flow on expression of genes associated with cell-cell and cell-matrix interaction, which likely mediate aneurysm formation, remains unclear. RNA sequencing of immortalized cerebral endothelial cells isolated from the lumen of a 3D blood-brain barrier …

Recombinant Human Plasma Gelsolin Reverses Increased Permeability Of The Blood-Brain Barrier Induced By The Spike Protein Of The Sars-Cov-2 Virus., Łukasz Suprewicz, Kiet A Tran, Ewelina Piktel, Krzysztof Fiedoruk, Paul A Janmey, Peter Galie, Robert Bucki

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

BACKGROUND: Plasma gelsolin (pGSN) is an important part of the blood actin buffer that prevents negative consequences of possible F-actin deposition in the microcirculation and has various functions during host immune response. Recent reports reveal that severe COVID-19 correlates with reduced levels of pGSN. Therefore, using an in vitro system, we investigated whether pGSN could attenuate increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) during its exposure to the portion of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein containing the receptor binding domain (S1 subunit).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two- and three-dimensional models of the human BBB were constructed using the human cerebral microvascular endothelial …

Histone Deacetylase 4 And 5 Translocation Elicited By Microsecond Pulsed Electric Field Exposure Is Mediated By Kinase Activity., Zahra Safaei, Gary L. Thompson Iii

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Electroporation-based technologies using microsecond pulsed electric field (µsPEF) exposures are established as laboratory and clinical tools that permeabilize cell membranes. We demonstrate a µsPEF bioeffect on nucleocytoplasmic import and export of enzymes that regulate genetic expression, histone deacetylases (HDAC) -4 and -5. Their μsPEF-induced nucleocytoplasmic transport depends on presence and absence of extracellular calcium ions (Ca

Histone Deacetylase 4 And 5 Translocation Elicited By Microsecond Pulsed Electric Field Exposure Is Mediated By Kinase Activity, Zahra Safaei, Gary L. Thompson Iii

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Electroporation-based technologies using microsecond pulsed electric field (µsPEF) exposures are established as laboratory and clinical tools that permeabilize cell membranes. We demonstrate a µsPEF bioeffect on nucleocytoplasmic import and export of enzymes that regulate genetic expression, histone deacetylases (HDAC) -4 and -5. Their μsPEF-induced nucleocytoplasmic transport depends on presence and absence of extracellular calcium ions (Ca2+) for both MCF7 and CHO-K1 cells. Exposure to 1, 10, 30 and 50 consecutive square wave pulses at 1 Hz and of 100 µs duration with 1.45 kV/cm magnitude leads to translocation of endogenous HDAC4 and HDAC5. We posit that by eliciting a rise …

Predictability Of Mechanical Behavior Of Additively Manufactured Particulate Composites Using Machine Learning And Data-Driven Approaches, Steven Malley, Crystal Reina, Somer Nacy, Jérôme Gilles, Behrad Koohbor

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Additive manufacturing and data analytics are independently flourishing research areas, where the latter can be leveraged to gain a great insight into the former. In this paper, the mechanical responses of additively manufactured samples using vat polymerization process with different weight ratios of magnetic microparticles were used to develop, train, and validate a neural network model. Samples with six different compositions, ranging from neat photopolymer to a composite of photopolymer with 4 wt.% of magnetic particles, were manufactured and mechanically tested at quasi-static strain rate and ambient environmental conditions. The experimental data were also synthesized using a data-driven approach based …

Tuning The Mechanical Behavior Of Density-Graded Elastomeric Foam Structures Via Interlayer Properties., Kazi Z Uddin, Ibnaj A Anni, George Youssef, Behrad Koohbor

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

The concept of density-graded foams has been proposed to simultaneously enhance strain energy dissipation and the load-bearing capacities at a reduced structural weight. From a practical perspective, the fabrication of density-graded foams is often achieved by stacking different foam densities. Under such conditions, the adhesive interlayer significantly affects the mechanical performance and failure modes of the structure. This work investigates the role of different adhesive layers on the mechanical and energy absorption behaviors of graded flexible foams with distinct density layers. Three adhesive candidates with different chemical, physical, and mechanical characteristics are used to assemble density-graded polyurea foam structures. The …

Imaging Diagnostics For Jet Breakup Into Droplets: A Review, Anu Osta

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

A concise review of the recent developments in some of the standard optical diagnostics applied for primary jet breakup studies has been presented here. Primary breakup is the core breakup of liquid jets and sheets into droplets upon its interaction with the ambient gaseous atmosphere. This phenomenon is encountered in various aerodynamic, fluid dynamic, and combustion situations. The imaging diagnostics reviewed here include photography, high-speed imaging, shadowgraphy, digital holography, ballistic imaging, jet core illumination, thermal imaging, Mie imaging, x-ray phase contrast imaging, and laser-induced fluorescence. The advantages and limitations of each technique, their success, and future developmental trend are discussed.

Randomly Generating The 3d Mesostructure Of Soil Rock Mixtures Based On The Full In Situ Digital Image Processed Information, Zhengsheng Li, Haiyang Yi, Cheng Zhu, Zhuang Zhuo, Guoshuan Liu

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Understanding the occurrence and evolution of geological disasters, such as landslides and debris flows, is facilitated by research on the performance of soil rock mixes (SRM). Recently, more and more researchers have been interested in studying the mesostructure reconstruction process of SRM. The present mesostructure generation approaches, however, have several weaknesses. One of the weaknesses is that they do not consider the impact of particle shape and therefore cannot ensure similarity to the in situ SRMs. In this study, a new mesostructure generation method that randomly generates SRMs based on the full in situ digital image processing (DIP) information is …

Evaluation Of Grit Properties At A Medium-Capacity Wastewater Treatment Plant: A Case Study, Tetiana Kolosovska, Sarah Bauer

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

The optimized, tailored approaches in the design of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) minimize expenditure of the resources, increase treatment effectiveness, and prolong useful life of the infrastructure. In this study, wastewater grit characteristics were evaluated over the course of one year at the headworks and collection network of the Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA) WWTP, located in New Jersey, USA. The mixed grit at the ACUA WWTP can be characterized as particles prevalently in the fine sand size range with high content of organic matter, low fraction of fats, oils, and grease (FOG), and very low settling velocity. A significant …

Design Of Solvent-Assisted Plastics Recycling: Integrated Economics And Environmental Impacts Analysis, Austin L. Lehr, Kayla L. Heider, Emmanuel A. Aboagye, John D. Chea, Jake P. Stengel, Pahola T. Benavides, Kirti Maheshkumar Yenkie

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

In 2018, the United States generated over 35. 7 million tons of plastic waste, with only 8.4% being recycled and the other 91.6% incinerated or disposed of in a landfill. The continued growth of the polymer market has raised concerns over the end of life of plastics. Currently, the waste management system is faced with issues of inefficient sorting methods and low-efficiency recycling methods when it comes to plastics recycling. Mechanical recycling is the commonest recycling method but presents a lower-valued recycled material due to the material incompatibilities introduced via the inefficient sorting methods. Chemical recycling offers a promising alternative …

Design Of Solvent-Assisted Plastics Recycling: Integrated Economics And Environmental Impacts Analysis, Austin L. Lehr, Kayla L. Heider, Emmanuel A. Aboagye, John D. Chea, Jake P. Stengel, Pahola Thathiana Benavides, Kirti M. Yenkie

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

In 2018, the United States generated over 35. 7 million tons of plastic waste, with only 8.4% being recycled and the other 91.6% incinerated or disposed of in a landfill. The continued growth of the polymer market has raised concerns over the end of life of plastics. Currently, the waste management system is faced with issues of inefficient sorting methods and low-efficiency recycling methods when it comes to plastics recycling. Mechanical recycling is the commonest recycling method but presents a lower-valued recycled material due to the material incompatibilities introduced via the inefficient sorting methods. Chemical recycling offers a promising alternative …

How Engineering Education Guilds Are Expanding Our Understanding Of Propagation In Engineering Education, Kaitlin Mallouk, Alexandra C. Strong, Darby R. Riley, Courtney J. Faber

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Background: The National Science Foundation (NSF) and other organizations have spent millions of dollars each year supporting well-designed educational innovations that positively impact the undergraduate engineering students who encounter them. However, many of these pedagogical innovations never experience widespread adoption. To further the ability of innovation developers to advance engineering education practice and achieve sustained adoption of their innovations, this paper focuses on exploring how one community-based model, engineering education guilds, fosters propagation across institutions and individuals. Engineering education guilds seek to work at the forefront of educational innovation by creating networks of instructor change-agents who design and implement a …

Out-Of-Plane Load-Bearing And Mechanical Energy Absorption Properties Of Flexible Density-Graded Tpu Honeycombs, Ibnaj Anamika Anni, Kazi Zahir Uddin, Nicholas Pagliocca, Nand Singh, Oyindamola Rahman, George Youssef, Behrad Koohbor

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Honeycomb structures are widely used in applications that require excellent strain energy mitigation at low structural weights. The load-bearing and energy absorption capacity of honeycomb structures strongly depend on their cell wall thickness to edge ratios. This work studies the mechanical response and strain energy absorption characteristics of hexagonal honeycomb structures with various cell wall thicknesses in response to out-of-plane loading conditions. Honeycomb structures with various nominal densities are first additively manufactured from flexible thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). A comprehensive experimental study characterized the mechanical strength, energy absorption performance, and the strain recoverability of the structures. Density-graded structures are then fabricated …

Analytical Investigation Of Sound Radiation From Functionally Graded Thin Plates Based On Elemental Radiator Approach And Physical Neutral Surface, B. N. Singh, R. N. Hota, S. Dwivedi, Ratneshwar Jha, V. Ranjan, K. Řehák

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

This paper analyzes the sound radiation behavior of a clamped thin, functionally graded material plate using the classical plate theory and Rayleigh Integral with the elemental radiator approach. The material properties of the plate are assumed to vary according to the power-law distribution of the constituent materials in the transverse direction. The functionally graded material is modeled using a physical neutral surface instead of a geometric middle surface. The effects of the power-law index, elastic modulus ratio, different constituent materials, and damping loss factor on the sound radiation of functionally graded plate are analyzed. It was found that, for the …

Injectable Hydrogel With Immobilized Bmp-2 Mimetic Peptide For Local Bone Regeneration, Kirstene A. Gultian, Roshni Ghandi, Kayla Decesari, Vineeth Romiyo, Emily P. Kleinbart, Kelsey Martin, Pietro M. Gentile, Tae Won B. Kim, Sebastian Vega

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by a decrease in bone mineral density, thereby increasing the risk of sustaining a fragility fracture. Most medical therapies are systemic and do not restore bone in areas of need, leading to undesirable side effects. Injectable hydrogels can locally deliver therapeutics with spatial precision, and this study reports the development of an injectable hydrogel containing a peptide mimic of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2). To create injectable hydrogels, hyaluronic acid was modified with norbornene (HANor) or tetrazine (HATet) which upon mixing click into covalently crosslinked Nor-Tet hydrogels. By modifying HANor macromers with methacrylates (Me), thiolated BMP-2 …

An Applied Electromagnetics Course With A Conceiving-Designing-Implementing-Operating Approach In Engineering Education, M. R. Pérez-Cerquera, Hurtado Londono, Juan M. Cruz-Bohorquez

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

This paper describes and discusses the implementation of a project-based undergraduate course on applied electromagnetics in electronics engineering with a conceiving-designing-implementing-operating (CDIO) approach involving active project-based learning (PBL). The course, which requires a combination of mathematical and physics concepts for its completion, allows students to understand the principles of electromagnetic transmission theory in wireless communication systems. This paper presents the course proposal, its project description, and results hinting at the relationship with the CDIO process. The proposed projects allow students to engage in core concepts such as complex vectors, Maxwell’s equations, boundary conditions, Poynting's theorem, uniform plane waves, reflection and …

Hyaluronic Acid: Its Versatile Use In Ocular Drug Delivery With A Specific Focus On Hyaluronic Acid-Based Polyelectrolyte Complexes., Saoirse Casey-Power, Richie Ryan, Gautam Behl, Peter Mcloughlin, Mark Byrne, Laurence Fitzhenry

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Extensive research is currently being conducted into novel ocular drug delivery systems (ODDS) that are capable of surpassing the limitations associated with conventional intraocular anterior and posterior segment treatments. Nanoformulations, including those synthesised from the natural, hydrophilic glycosaminoglycan, hyaluronic acid (HA), have gained significant traction due to their enhanced intraocular permeation, longer retention times, high physiological stability, inherent biocompatibility, and biodegradability. However, conventional nanoformulation preparation methods often require large volumes of organic solvent, chemical cross-linkers, and surfactants, which can pose significant toxicity risks. We present a comprehensive, critical review of the use of HA in the field of ophthalmology and …

Topological Supercavity Resonances In The Finite System, Lujun Huang, Bin Jia, Yan Kei Chiang, Sibo Huang, Chen Shen, Fu Deng, Tianzhi Yang, David A Powell, Yong Li, Andrey E Miroshnichenko

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Acoustic resonant cavities play a vital role in modern acoustical systems. The ultrahigh quality-factor resonances are highly desired for some applications such as high-resolution acoustic sensors and acoustic lasers. Here, a class of supercavity resonances is theoretically proposed and experimentally demonstrated in a coupled acoustic resonator system, arising from the merged bound states in the continuum (BICs) in geometry space. Their topological origin is demonstrated by explicitly calculating their topological charges before and after BIC merging, accompanied by charges annihilation. Compared with other types of BICs, they are robust to the perturbation brought by fabrication imperfection. Moreover, it is found …

Student Modeling And Analysis In Adaptive Instructional Systems, Jing Liang, Ryan Hare, Tianyu Chang, Fangli Xu, Ying Tang, Fei-Yue Wang, Shimeng Peng

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

There is a growing interest in developing and implementing adaptive instructional systems to improve, automate, and personalize student education. A necessary part of any such adaptive instructional system is a student model used to predict or analyze learner behavior and inform adaptation. To help inform researchers in this area, this paper presents a state-of-the-art review of 11 years of research (2010-2021) in student modeling, focusing on learner characteristics, learning indicators, and foundational aspects of dissimilar models. We mainly emphasize increased prediction accuracy when using multidimensional learner data to create multimodal models in real-world adaptive instructional systems. In addition, we discuss …

Sub-Nyquist Optical Pulse Sampling For Photonic Blind Source Separation, Taichu Shi, Yang Qi, Weipeng Zhang, Paul Prucnal, Jie Li, Ben Wu

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

We propose and experimentally demonstrate an optical pulse sampling method for photonic blind source separation. The photonic system processes and separates wideband signals based on the statistical information of the mixed signals, and thus the sampling frequency can be orders of magnitude lower than the bandwidth of the signals. The ultra-fast optical pulses collect samples of the signals at very low sampling rates, and each sample is short enough to maintain the statistical properties of the signals. The low sampling frequency reduces the workloads of the analog to digital conversion and digital signal processing systems. In the meantime, the short …

Human Induced Mesenchymal Stem Cells Display Increased Sensitivity To Matrix Stiffness., Kirstene A Gultian, Roshni Gandhi, Khushi Sarin, Martina Sladkova-Faure, Matthew Zimmer, Giuseppe Maria De Peppo, Sebastian Vega

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

The clinical translation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is limited by population heterogeneity and inconsistent responses to engineered signals. Specifically, the extent in which MSCs respond to mechanical cues varies significantly across MSC lines. Although induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have recently emerged as a novel cell source for creating highly homogeneous MSC (iMSC) lines, cellular mechanosensing of iMSCs on engineered materials with defined mechanics is not well understood. Here, we tested the mechanosensing properties of three human iMSC lines derived from iPSCs generated using a fully automated platform. Stiffness-driven changes in morphology were comparable between MSCs and iMSCs cultured …

Porous Scaffold-Hydrogel Composites Spatially Regulate 3d Cellular Mechanosensing., Matthew Dicerbo, Mohammed Mehdi Benmassaoud, Sebastián L Vega

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Cells encapsulated in 3D hydrogels exhibit differences in cellular mechanosensing based on their ability to remodel their surrounding hydrogel environment. Although cells in tissue interfaces feature a range of mechanosensitive states, it is challenging to recreate this in 3D biomaterials. Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) encapsulated in methacrylated gelatin (GelMe) hydrogels remodel their local hydrogel environment in a time-dependent manner, with a significant increase in cell volume and nuclear Yes-associated protein (YAP) localization between 3 and 5 days in culture. A finite element analysis model of compression showed spatial differences in hydrogel stress of compressed GelMe hydrogels, and MSC-laden GelMe …

Classifying Hazardous Movements And Loads During Manual Materials Handling Using Accelerometers And Instrumented Insoles., Mitja Trkov, Duncan T Stevenson, Andrew S Merryweather

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Improper manual material handling (MMH) techniques are shown to lead to low back pain, the most common work-related musculoskeletal disorder. Due to the complex nature and variability of MMH and obtrusiveness and subjectiveness of existing hazard analysis methods, providing systematic, continuous, and automated risk assessment is challenging. We present a machine learning algorithm to detect and classify MMH tasks using minimally-intrusive instrumented insoles and chest-mounted accelerometers. Six participants performed standing, walking, lifting/lowering, carrying, side-to-side load transferring (i.e., 5.7 kg and 12.5 kg), and pushing/pulling. Lifting and carrying loads as well as hazardous behaviors (i.e., stooping, overextending and jerky lifting) were …

Non-Contact Condition Monitoring Of Wind Turbines Using Laser Vibrometers, Chen Shen, Ratneshwar Jha, Nand K. Singh

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Rapid On Site Repair Of Wind Turbines By Cold Spray, Behrad Koohbor, Francis M. Haas, Joseph F. Stanzione Iii

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Annealing Post-Drawn Polycaprolactone (Pcl) Nanofibers Optimizes Crystallinity And Molecular Alignment And Enhances Mechanical Properties And Drug Release Profiles, M. D. Flamini, T. Lima, K. Corkum, N. J. Alvarez, Vincent Beachley

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Post-drawn PCL nanofibers can be molecularly tuned to have a variety of mechanical properties and drug release profiles depending on the temperature and time of annealing, which has implications for regenerative medicine and drug delivery applications. Post-drawing polycaprolactone (PCL) nanofibers has previously been demonstrated to drastically increase their mechanical properties. Here the effects of annealing on post-drawn PCL nanofibers are characterized. It is shown that room temperature storage and in vivo temperatures increase crystallinity significantly on the order of weeks, and that high temperature annealing near melt significantly increases crystallinity and molecular orientation on the order of minutes. The kinetics …

Characterizing Fiber-Matrix Debond And Fiber Interaction Mechanisms By Full-Field Measurements, Robert Livingston, Behrad Koohbor

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

An experimental approach is developed and utilized to characterize the fiber-matrix interfacial debonding mechanism and its effect on matrix cracking in unidirectional (UD) fiber composites. Local deformation response at the fiber-matrix interface is first studied by analyzing the strain fields developed in the vicinity of macro fibers in single-fiber samples. A practical approach for the identification of normal cohesive behavior at the fiber-matrix interface is presented and implemented in a finite element model that replicates the experimental findings. Fiber-to-fiber interaction, debond formation, and failure mechanisms in multiple fiber systems are then studied by varying the distance and angle between adjacent …

Flexible Planar Metamaterials With Tunable Poisson's Ratios, Nicholas Pagliocca, Kazi Zahir Uddin, Ibnaj Anamika Anni, Chen Shen, George Youssef, Behrad Koohbor

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

This research reports on the design, fabrication, and multiscale mechanical characterization of flexible, planar mechanical metamaterials with tailorable mechanical properties. The tunable mechanical behavior of the structures is realized through the introduction of orthogonal perforations with different geometric features. Various configurations of the perforations lead to a wide range of Poisson's ratios (from −0.8 to 0.4), load-bearing properties, and energy absorption capacities. The correlations between the configuration of the perforations and the auxetic response of the structures are highlighted through computational and experimental characterizations performed at multiple length scales. It is demonstrated that the local in-plane rotation of the solid …

Targeting Hif-2Α In The Tumor Microenvironment: Redefining The Role Of Hif-2Α For Solid Cancer Therapy., Leah Davis, Matthias Recktenwald, Evan Hutt, Schuyler Fuller, Madison Briggs, Arnav Goel, Nichole Daringer

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Inadequate oxygen supply, or hypoxia, is characteristic of the tumor microenvironment and correlates with poor prognosis and therapeutic resistance. Hypoxia leads to the activation of the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) signaling pathway and stabilization of the HIF-α subunit, driving tumor progression. The homologous alpha subunits, HIF-1α and HIF-2α, are responsible for mediating the transcription of a multitude of critical proteins that control proliferation, angiogenic signaling, metastasis, and other oncogenic factors, both differentially and sequentially regulating the hypoxic response. Post-translational modifications of HIF play a central role in its behavior as a mediator of transcription, as well as the temporal transition from …

Impurity Incorporation In Solution Crystallization: Diagnosis, Prevention, And Control, Gerard Capellades, Jacob O. Bonsu, Allan S. Myerson

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Despite their widespread use for purification, our current methods for the development of solution crystallization processes lack a sufficient understanding on how impurities incorporate in growing crystals. This is, in part, due to the large number of mechanisms often encountered for impurity incorporation, and due to limitations in our methods for diagnosis of those mechanisms. These limitations propagate into largely empirical process development strategies, which are still based on trial and error and centered on solvent selection. This manuscript highlights recent developments in the diagnosis, prevention, and control of impurity incorporation during batch and continuous crystallization. The goal is to …