Engineering Commons^™

Protein And Polysaccharide-Based Magnetic Composite Materials For Medical Applications., Elizabeth J Bealer, Kyril Kavetsky, Sierra Dutko, Samuel Lofland, Xiao Hu

Faculty Scholarship for the College of Science & Mathematics

The combination of protein and polysaccharides with magnetic materials has been implemented in biomedical applications for decades. Proteins such as silk, collagen, and elastin and polysaccharides such as chitosan, cellulose, and alginate have been heavily used in composite biomaterials. The wide diversity in the structure of the materials including their primary monomer/amino acid sequences allow for tunable properties. Various types of these composites are highly regarded due to their biocompatible, thermal, and mechanical properties while retaining their biological characteristics. This review provides information on protein and polysaccharide materials combined with magnetic elements in the biomedical space showcasing the materials used, …

Bicontinuous Interfacially Jammed Emulsion Gels (Bijels) As Media For Enabling Enzymatic Reactive Separation Of A Highly Water Insoluble Substrate, Sanghak Cha, Hyun Lim, Martin Haase, Kathleen Stebe, Gyoo Jung, Daeyeon Lee

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Although enzymes are efficient catalysts capable of converting various substrates into desired products with high specificity under mild conditions, their effectiveness as catalysts is substantially reduced when substrates are poorly water-soluble. In this study, to expedite the enzymatic conversion of a hydrophobic substrate, we use a bicontinuous interfacially jammed emulsion gel (bijel) which provides large interfacial area between two immiscible liquids: oil and water. Using lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of tributyrin as a model reaction in a batch mode, we show that bijels can be used as media to enable enzymatic reaction. The bijel system gives a four-fold increase in the initial …

Integrating The Three E’S In Wastewater Treatment, Kirti Maheshkumar Yenkie

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Water is often the most mispriced and misused component in domestic, industrial and agricultural sectors. The rise in world population and industrialization in developing nations has tremendously increased the demand for water and has resulted in the generation of wastewater which is contaminated with dangerous pollutants and unknown contaminants. Furthermore, if the wastewater is not treated properly the toxic pollutants will leach back into the ground ultimately contaminating the groundwater resources. Thus, wastewater treatment, reuse, and safe disposal have become crucial for sustainable existence. In this review, the different aspects involved in designing efficient and sustainable wastewater treatment systems such …

Tracking Lysosome Migration Within Chinese Hamster Ovary (Cho) Cells Following Exposure To Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Fields, Gary L. Thompson Iii, Hope T. Beier, Bennett L. Ibey

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Above a threshold electric field strength, 600 ns-duration pulsed electric field (nsPEF) exposure substantially porates and permeabilizes cellular plasma membranes in aqueous solution to many small ions. Repetitive exposures increase permeabilization to calcium ions (Ca²⁺) in a dosage-dependent manner. Such exposure conditions can create relatively long-lived pores that reseal after passive lateral diffusion of lipids should have closed the pores. One explanation for eventual pore resealing is active membrane repair, and an ubiquitous repair mechanism in mammalian cells is lysosome exocytosis. A previous study shows that intracellular lysosome movement halts upon a 16.2 kV/cm, 600-ns PEF exposure of …

Microarray Embedding/Sectioning For Parallel Analysis Of 3d Cell Spheroids., Jonathan Gabriel, David Brennan, Jennifer H Elisseeff, Vincent Beachley

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Three-dimensional cell spheroid models can be used to predict the effect of drugs and therapeutics and to model tissue development and regeneration. The utility of these models is enhanced by high throughput 3D spheroid culture technologies allowing researchers to efficiently culture numerous spheroids under varied experimental conditions. Detailed analysis of high throughput spheroid culture is much less efficient and generally limited to narrow outputs, such as metabolic viability. We describe a microarray approach that makes traditional histological embedding/sectioning/staining feasible for large 3D cell spheroid sample sets. Detailed methodology to apply this technology is provided. Analysis of the technique validates the …

Synthesis And Analysis Of Separation Processes For Extracellular Chemicals Generated From Microbial Conversions, Wenzhao Wu, Kirti Maheshkumar Yenkie, Christos T. Maravelias

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Recent advances in metabolic engineering have enabled the production of chemicals via bio-conversion using microbes. However, downstream separation accounts for 60–80% of the total production cost in many cases. Previous work on microbial production of extracellular chemicals has been mainly restricted to microbiology, biochemistry, metabolomics, or techno-economic analysis for specific product examples such as succinic acid, xanthan gum, lycopene, etc. In these studies, microbial production and separation technologies were selected apriori without considering any competing alternatives. However, technology selection in downstream separation and purification processes can have a major impact on the overall costs, product recovery, and purity. To this …

The Benchtop Hybrid - Using A Long-Term Design Project To Integrate The Mechanical Engineering Curriculum, Eric Constans, Krishan Bhatia, Jen Kadlowec, Tom Merrill, Hong Zhang, Bonnie Angelone

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

This paper describes the use of a large-scale, multi-semester design project as a means of integrating six courses in the mechanical engineering curriculum. The project, a bench-scale hybrid powertrain, is built up - component by component - as students advance through the curriculum. The authors used the project to test two research hypotheses: 1) that a long-term, large-scale design project would increase long-term subject matter retention and 2) that a long-term, large-scale design project would increase students' design and problem-solving skills. The authors found that the design project had no measurable effect on long-term subject matter retention, but did have …

Using Parallel Genetic Algorithms For Estimating Model Parameters In Complex Reactive Transport Problems, Jagadish Torlapati, T. P. Clement

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

In this study, we present the details of an optimization method for parameter estimation of one-dimensional groundwater reactive transport problems using a parallel genetic algorithm (PGA). The performance of the PGA was tested with two problems that had published analytical solutions and two problems with published numerical solutions. The optimization model was provided with the published experimental results and reasonable bounds for the unknown kinetic reaction parameters as inputs. Benchmarking results indicate that the PGA estimated parameters that are close to the published parameters and it also predicted the observed trends well for all four problems. Also, OpenMP FORTRAN parallel …

One-Pot Aqueous And Template-Free Synthesis Of Mesoporous Polymeric Resins, Mahboubeh Nabavinia, Baishali Kanjilal, Alexander Hesketh, Philip Wall, Alireza Shirazi Amin, Peter Kerns, Joseph F. Stanzione Iii, Steven Suib, Fujian Lu, Iman Noshadi

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

This work explores the novel one-pot aqueous phase synthesis of mesoporous phenolic-hyperbranched polyethyleneimine resins without the use of a template, and their utility as heterogeneous catalysts in batch reactors and continuous microreactors. Catalyst surface areas of up to 432 m²/g were achieved with a uniform Pd distribution and an interconnected, highly porous, network structure, confirmed through Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area measurements, scanning electron microscopes (SEM), X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The heterogeneous catalysts achieved a maximum 98.98 ± 1% conversion in batch Suzuki couplings, with conversions being dependent upon reaction …

Methods For Estimating Supersaturation In Antisolvent Crystallization Systems, Jennifer M. Schall, Gerard Capellades, Allan S. Myerson

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

The mole fraction and activity coefficient-dependent (MFAD) supersaturation expression is the least-assumptive, practical choice for calculating supersaturation in solvent mixtures. This paper reviews the basic thermodynamic derivation of the supersaturation expression, revisits common simplifying assumptions, and discusses the shortcomings of those assumptions for the design of industrial crystallization processes. A step-by-step methodology for estimating the activity-dependent supersaturation is provided with focus on ternary systems. This method requires only solubility data and thermal property data from a single differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) experiment. Two case studies are presented, where common simplifications to the MFAD supersaturation expression are evaluated: (1) for various …

Incorporating Solvent-Dependent Kinetics To Design A Multistage, Continuous, Combined Cooling/Antisolvent Crystallization Process, Jennifer M. Schall, Gerard Capellades, Jasdeep S. Mandur, Richard D. Braatz, Allan S. Myerson

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Combined cooling and antisolvent crystallization enables crystallization of many pharmaceutical products, but its process design typically neglects solvent composition influences on crystallization kinetics. This paper evaluates the influence of solvent-dependent nucleation and growth kinetics on the design of optimal, multistage mixed-suspension, mixed-product removal (MSMPR) crystallization cascades. The ability to independently select temperature and solvent compositions in each stage of the cascade serves to greatly expand the attainable region for a two-stage cascade, with diminishing returns for additional stages. Failure to include solvent-dependent kinetics can result in simulating incorrect attainable regions, active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) yields, and crystal size distributions. This …

A Deep Learning Framework For Joint Image Restoration And Recognition, Ruilong Chen, Lyudmila Mihaylova, Hao Zhu, Nidhal Carla Bouaynaya

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Image restoration and recognition are important computer vision tasks representing an inherent part of autonomous systems. These two tasks are often implemented in a sequential manner, in which the restoration process is followed by a recognition. In contrast, this paper proposes a joint framework that simultaneously performs both tasks within a shared deep neural network architecture. This joint framework integrates the restoration and recognition tasks by incorporating: (i) common layers, (ii) restoration layers and (iii) classification layers. The total loss function combines the restoration and classification losses. The proposed joint framework, based on capsules, provides an efficient solution that can …

In Vitro Evaluation Of 3d Printed Polycaprolactone Scaffolds With Angle-Ply Architecture For Annulus Fibrosus Tissue Engineering, Thomas R. Christiani, E Baroncini, Joseph F. Stanzione, Andrea J. Vernengo

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Tissue engineering of the annulus fibrosus (AF) is currently being investigated as a treatment for intervertebral disc degeneration, a condition frequently associated with low back pain. The objective of this work was to use 3D printing to generate a novel scaffold for AF repair that mimics the structural and biomechanical properties of the native tissue. Multi-layer scaffolds were fabricated by depositing polycaprolactone struts in opposing angular orientations, replicating the angle-ply arrangement of the native AF tissue. Scaffolds were printed with varied strut diameter and spacing. The constructs were characterized morphologically and by static and dynamic mechanical analyses. Scaffold surfaces were …

Reversal Of Transmission And Reflection Based On Acoustic Metagratings With Integer Parity Design., Yangyang Fu, Chen Shen, Yanyan Cao, Lei Gao, Huanyang Chen, C T Chan, Steven A Cummer, Yadong Xu

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Phase gradient metagratings (PGMs) have provided unprecedented opportunities for wavefront manipulation. However, this approach suffers from fundamental limits on conversion efficiency; in some cases, higher order diffraction caused by the periodicity can be observed distinctly, while the working mechanism still is not fully understood, especially in refractive-type metagratings. Here we show, analytically and experimentally, a refractive-type metagrating which can enable anomalous reflection and refraction with almost unity efficiency over a wide incident range. A simple physical picture is presented to reveal the underlying diffraction mechanism. Interestingly, it is found that the anomalous transmission and reflection through higher order diffraction can …

Diagnosing Growth In Low-Grade Gliomas With And Without Longitudinal Volume Measurements: A Retrospective Observational Study., Hassan M Fathallah-Shaykh, Andrew Deatkine, Elizabeth Coffee, Elias Khayat, Asim K Bag, Xiaosi Han, Paula Province Warren, Markus Bredel, John Fiveash, James Markert, Nidhal Carla Bouaynaya, Louis B Nabors

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

BACKGROUND: Low-grade gliomas cause significant neurological morbidity by brain invasion. There is no universally accepted objective technique available for detection of enlargement of low-grade gliomas in the clinical setting; subjective evaluation by clinicians using visual comparison of longitudinal radiological studies is the gold standard. The aim of this study is to determine whether a computer-assisted diagnosis (CAD) method helps physicians detect earlier growth of low-grade gliomas.

METHODS AND FINDINGS: We reviewed 165 patients diagnosed with grade 2 gliomas, seen at the University of Alabama at Birmingham clinics from 1 July 2017 to 14 May 2018. MRI scans were collected during …

An Integrated Approach For Remanufacturing Job Shop Scheduling With Routing Alternatives., Ling Ling Li, Cong Bo Li, Li Li, Ying Tang, Qing Shan Yang

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Remanufacturing is a practice of growing importance due to increasing environmental awareness and regulations. However, the stochastic natures inherent in the remanufacturing processes complicate its scheduling. This paper undertakes the challenge and presents a remanufacturing job shop scheduling approach by integrating alternative routing assignment and machine resource dispatching. A colored timed Petri net is introduced to model the dynamics of remanufacturing process, such as various process routings, uncertain operation times for cores, and machine resource conflicts. With the color attributes in Petri nets, two types of decision points, recovery routing selection and resource dispatching, are introduced and linked with places …

Evaluating The Impacts Of Acp Management On The Energy Performance Of Hydrothermal Liquefaction Via Nutrient Recovery, Sarah Bauer, Fangwei Cheng, Lisa Colosi

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is of interest in producing liquid fuels from organic waste, but the process also creates appreciable quantities of aqueous co-product (ACP) containing high concentrations of regulated wastewater pollutants (e.g., organic carbon, nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P)). Previous literature has not emphasized characterization, management, or possible valorization of ACP wastewaters. This study aims to evaluate one possible approach to ACP management via recovery of valuable scarce materials. Equilibrium modeling was performed to estimate theoretical yields of struvite (MgNH4PO4·6H2O) from ACP samples arising from HTL processing of selected waste feedstocks. Experimental analyses were conducted to evaluate the accuracy of …

Harnessing Neurovascular Interaction To Guide Axon Growth., Paul P Partyka, Ying Jin, Julien Bouyer, Angelica Dasilva, George A Godsey, Robert G Nagele, Itzhak Fischer, Peter Galie

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Regulating the intrinsic interactions between blood vessels and nerve cells has the potential to enhance repair and regeneration of the central nervous system. Here, we evaluate the efficacy of aligned microvessels to induce and control directional axon growth from neural progenitor cells in vitro and host axons in a rat spinal cord injury model. Interstitial fluid flow aligned microvessels generated from co-cultures of cerebral-derived endothelial cells and pericytes in a three-dimensional scaffold. The endothelial barrier function was evaluated by immunostaining for tight junction proteins and quantifying the permeability coefficient t (~10−7 cm/s). Addition of neural progenitor cells to the co-culture …

Power Flow-Conformal Metamirrors For Engineering Wave Reflections., Ana Díaz-Rubio, Junfei Li, Chen Shen, Steven A Cummer, Sergei A Tretyakov

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Recently, the complexity behind manipulations of reflected fields by metasurfaces has been addressed, showing that, even in the simplest scenarios, nonlocal response and excitation of auxiliary evanescent fields are required for perfect field control. In this work, we introduce purely local reflective metasurfaces for arbitrary manipulations of the power distribution of reflected waves without excitation of any auxiliary evanescent field. The method is based on the analysis of the power flow distribution and the adaptation of the reflector shape to the desired distribution of incident and reflected fields. As a result, we find that these power-conformal metamirrors can be easily …

Desiccation Cracking Behavior Of Micp-Treated Bentonite, Mark Vail, Cheng Zhu, Chao-Sheng Tang, Luke Anderson, Michael Moroski, Melissa Tababa Montalbo-Lomboy

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

This study aims to characterize the effect of microbial-induced calcite precipitation (MICP) on the desiccation cracking behaviors of compacted calcium bentonite soils. We prepare six groups of samples by mixing bentonites with deionized water, pure bacteria solution, pure cementation solution, and mixed bacteria and cementation solutions at three different percentages. We use an image processing tool to characterize the soil desiccation cracking patterns. Experimental results reveal the influences of fluid type and mixture percentage on the crack evolution and volumetric deformation of bentonite soils. MICP reactions effectively delay the crack initiation and remediate desiccation cracking, as reflected by the decreased …

Approximate Kernel Reconstruction For Time-Varying Networks, Gregory Ditzler, Nidhal Carla Bouaynaya, Roman Shterenberg, Hassan Fathaliah-Shaykh

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Most existing algorithms for modeling and analyzing molecular networks assume a static or time-invariant network topology. Such view, however, does not render the temporal evolution of the underlying biological process as molecular networks are typically “re-wired” over time in response to cellular development and environmental changes. In our previous work, we formulated the inference of time-varying or dynamic networks as a tracking problem, where the target state is the ensemble of edges in the network. We used the Kalman filter to track the network topology over time. Unfortunately, the output of the Kalman filter does not reflect known properties of …

Bipedal Model And Hybrid Zero Dynamics Of Human Walking With Foot Slip, Mitja Trkov, Kuo Chen, Jingang Yi

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Foot slip is one of the major causes of falls in human locomotion. Analytical bipedal models provide an insight into the complex slip dynamics and reactive control strategies for slip-induced fall prevention. Most of the existing bipedal dynamics models are built on no foot slip assumption and cannot be used directly for such analysis. We relax the no-slip assumption and present a new bipedal model to capture and predict human walking locomotion under slip. We first validate the proposed slip walking dynamic model by tuning and optimizing the model parameters to match the experimental results. The results demonstrate that the …

Inception Modules Enhance Brain Tumor Segmentation., Daniel E Cahall, Ghulam Rasool, Nidhal Carla Bouaynaya, Hassan M Fathallah-Shaykh

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Magnetic resonance images of brain tumors are routinely used in neuro-oncology clinics for diagnosis, treatment planning, and post-treatment tumor surveillance. Currently, physicians spend considerable time manually delineating different structures of the brain. Spatial and structural variations, as well as intensity inhomogeneity across images, make the problem of computer-assisted segmentation very challenging. We propose a new image segmentation framework for tumor delineation that benefits from two state-of-the-art machine learning architectures in computer vision, i.e., Inception modules and U-Net image segmentation architecture. Furthermore, our framework includes two learning regimes, i.e., learning to segment intra-tumoral structures (necrotic and non-enhancing tumor core, peritumoral edema, …