Engineering Commons^™

Using Naming Conventions To Facilitate Data Transfer Between Asset Management Systems And Building Information Models, John D. Foster

Theses and Dissertations

An improvement to the workflow developed by Loeh et al. (2021) is proposed using a Revit template with BUILDER SMS naming conventions when creating the Sustainable Facility Management-enhanced BIM Model. The method presented by Loeh et al. (2021) is modified by integrating BUILDER SMS parameters and naming conventions into the BIM model during, as opposed to after, the creation of the model. Four building models created in 2020-21, four from 2021-22, and one building from 2019 were used in this study. Two groups of students were used to evaluate the effect of the building-specific BIM templates. Evaluating the 2020 and …

Bioactive Self-Forming Hydrogels For Biomedical Applications, Kirstene Arcuino Gultian Giddings

Theses and Dissertations

Hydrogels are soft biomaterials that feature a wide range of physical and biochemical properties. Although highly versatile, hydrogels typically require an exogeneous input (e.g., light, pH, temperature) to form, and this limits their use to conditions where a catalyst is present. The goal of this dissertation is to expand the use of catalyst-based hydrogels by developing hydrogels with independently tunable properties which gel in situ without external stimuli. This new class of hydrogels was developed by first modifying macromers with norbornene (Nor) or tetrazine (Tet) moieties. Macromers containing Nor or Tet remain liquid when dissolved, and upon mixing self-form into …

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.

Investigation Of Polymer Nanocomposites With Silicon Dioxide Fillers As Helium Cooled High-Temperature Superconducting Cable Dielectrics, Jordan Thomas Cook

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, three polymer nanocomposite configurations are fabricated for investigation as dielectrics in helium-cooled high-temperature superconducting (HTS) cables. Polyimide, polyamide, and polymethyl methacrylate are utilized as host polymers. The composite samples are synthesized through an in situ process, dispersing silicon dioxide nanoparticles throughout the polymer hosts. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy were employed to validate the synthesis of each composite configuration. Thin film samples of each configuration were also tested for their dielectric strength at both room (300 K) and cryogenic (92 K) temperatures. When going from room to cryogenic temperatures, all materials demonstrated a significant …

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 …

Investigation Of Adhesion, Deformation Mechanics, And Electrical Properties Of Ag/Sio2/Pdms Tri-Layers For Stretchable Electronic Applications, Rhandy Joe Paladines

Theses and Dissertations

The motivation behind this research is to improve the interfacial layer bonding of metallic thin films to PDMS substrates with the aid of a buffer layer. The physical vapor deposition (PVD) technique of sputtering was used to deposit bilayer thin films of silver (Ag) and silicon dioxide (SiO2) on PDMS. Two chamber pressures were used in this work, 5 and 20 mTorr, to investigate the role of this parameter in determining the interfacial adhesion and the role in determining the resistance sensitivity. Studies of the surface energy and increased bonding strength for metallization are carried out. Surface characterization using atomic …

Towards Environmentally Sustainable, High-Performance, Lightweight Composites For Automotive Applications, Jasmin Zamudio Vasquez

Theses and Dissertations

The increasing public demand in the world automotive industry to improve the environmental sustainability of their manufactured vehicles without sacrificing drivers' comfort and safety and the high cost of lightweight materials have driven researchers to reconsider materials used in the automotive application. Thus, this work aims toward the production of environmentally sustainable, high-performance, lightweight composites, utilizing recycled carbon fibers (RCFs) and pyrolyzed tire particles (PTPs) reclaimed from pyro-gasification of CFRP wastes and end-of-life tires (ELTs), respectively, as reinforcements for cardanol-based epoxy resins. The fabricated composites exhibited rubbery-like behavior at 25 °C. Spectroscopic, rheological, physical, thermal, thermomechanical, and mechanical characterizations were …

Investigating The Use Of 100% Rap In Airfield Mixtures For Contingency Pavement Repair In Remote Regions, Mahmoud Samara

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study was to present a procedure for performance-related mix design of 100% recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) mixtures used in repair applications. In addition, the impact of rejuvenators (Corn Oil, Tall Oil, Modified Vegetable Oil, and Aromatic Extract) on the RAP materials' properties were also investigated on both levels (binder, and mixtures). Performance grade testing, frequency sweep test, critical temperature differential (delta Tc), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) tests were conducted to evaluate the rheological and chemical properties of extracted and rejuvenated RAP binders. Afterward, asphalt pavement analyzer (APA) and indirect tensile asphalt cracking (IDEAL-CT) tests …

Low Temperature Dielectric Strength Of Polyimide-Silica Nanocomposites For Applications In High-Temperature Superconducting Cables, Michael John Mccaffrey

Theses and Dissertations

Gaseous helium is often considered as an alternative to liquid nitrogen to cool modern high-temperature superconducting cables in support of increased power capacity and/or reduction of required cable size. However, the small size of helium molecules and relatively poor dielectric strength of helium gas create challenges which limit the usefulness of modern cable dielectrics. Continuous dielectric coatings have been considered as an alternative to traditional lapped tape dielectrics to support gaseous helium refrigerants, but unmatched thermal contraction between the coating and cable components would induce failures due to mechanical stress. Composite materials have been considered as a means of matching …

A Machine Learning Framework For Automatic Speech Recognition In Air Traffic Control Using Word Level Binary Classification And Transcription, Fowad Shahid Sohail

Theses and Dissertations

Advances in Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning have enabled a variety of new technologies. One such technology is Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), where a machine is given audio and transcribes the words that were spoken. ASR can be applied in a variety of domains to improve general usability and safety. One such domain is Air Traffic Control (ATC). ASR in ATC promises to improve safety in a mission critical environment. ASR models have historically required a large amount of clean training data. ATC environments are noisy and acquiring labeled data is a difficult, expertise dependent task. This thesis attempts to …

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 …

Effects Of Cell-Cell Signaling On Mesenchymal Stem Cell Mechanosensing And Adaptation To Dynamic Material, Matthew E. Lowe

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research is to identify the role of engineered cell-cell signals on how cells sense material properties. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are adult cells whose behavior is regulated by matrix mechanosensing, which is characterized by stiffness-dependent changes in cell shape and the nuclear localization of mechano-transducer proteins including YAP (Yes-associated Protein). MSC area and nuclear YAP translocation increase with increasing stiffness, and although low levels of N-cadherin-based cell-cell signaling reduce this effect, two fundamental questions remain: (1) do engineered cell-cell signals at higher concentrations further reduce matrix mechanosensing, and (2) does N-cadherin signaling affect MSC adaptation to …

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 …

A Broad Spectrum Defense Against Adversarial Examples, Sean Mcguire

Theses and Dissertations

Machine learning models are increasingly employed in making critical decisions across a wide array of applications. As our dependence on these models increases, it is vital to recognize their vulnerability to malicious attacks from determined adversaries. In response to these adversarial attacks, new defensive mechanisms have been developed to ensure the security of machine learning models and the accuracy of the decisions they make. However, many of these mechanisms are reactionary, designed to defend specific models against a known specific attack or family of attacks. This reactionary approach does not generalize to future "yet to be developed" attacks. In this …

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 …

A Deep Learning Approach For Airport Runway Identification From Satellite Imagery, Mahmut Gemici

Theses and Dissertations

The United States lacks a comprehensive national database of private Prior Permission Required (PPR) airports. The primary reason such a database does not exist is that there are no federal regulatory obligations for these facilities to have their information re-evaluated or updated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or the local state Department of Transportation (DOT) once the data has been entered into the system. The often outdated and incorrect information about landing sites presents a serious risk factor in aviation safety. In this thesis, we present a machine learning approach for detecting airport landing sites from Google Earth satellite …

The Role Of Small Gtpases In Regulating Blood-Brain Barrier Mechanotransduction, Brandon Jude Deore

Theses and Dissertations

Fluid shear stress is an important mediator of vascular permeability, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying the effect of shear on the blood-brain barrier (BBB) have yet to be clarified in cerebral vasculature despite its importance for brain homeostasis.. Neurological symptoms including the formation of microclots, stroke, and other neurological pathologies associated with changes in cerebral blood flow are hallmarks of BBB dysfunction. The in vitro model used in this dissertation is compatible with real-time measurement of barrier function using a transendothelial electrical resistance as well as immunocytochemistry and dextran permeability assays. These experiments reveal that there is a threshold level …

Bioengineered Scaffolds To Induce Alignment And Promote Axon Regeneration Following Spinal Cord Injury, Kiet Anh Tran

Theses and Dissertations

Scaffolds delivered to injured spinal cords to stimulate axon connectivity often act as a bridge to stimulate regeneration at the injured area, but current approaches lack the permissiveness, topology and mechanics to mimic host tissue properties. This dissertation focuses on bioengineering scaffolds through the means of altering topology in injectables and tuning mechanics in 3D-printed constructs as potential therapies for spinal cord injury repair. A self-assembling peptide scaffold, RADA-16I, is used due to its established permissiveness to axon growth and ability to support vascularization. Immunohistochemistry assays verify that vascularized peptide scaffolds promote axon infiltration, attenuate inflammation and reduce astrogliosis. Furthermore, …

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 …

Ethanol-Induced Impacts On Nervous System Development And Dopamine Transporter Characterization In Schmidtea Mediterranea Planaria, Brennen Covely

Theses and Dissertations

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are diagnosed in 2-5% of newborns, but the biology underlying FASD is poorly understood and challenging to study with existing model organisms. A new model for FASD research is Schmidtea mediterranea (Smed) planaria. Smed have a remarkable ability to regenerate their central nervous system (CNS), and possess a well-studied, simple genome. Previous studies have shown that ethanol exposure delays this regeneration, yet this relationship is not fully understood. Here, we show that alcohol exposure affects Smed in a dose-dependent manner, eliciting characteristic withdrawal-like behaviors and impacting cognitive function. Interestingly, prior exposure does not alter subsequent …