Scaffold-Based 3d Cell Culture Models In Cancer Research, Waad H. Abuwatfa, William G. Pitt, Ghaleb A. Husseini

Faculty Publications

Three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures have emerged as valuable tools in cancer research, offering significant advantages over traditional two-dimensional (2D) cell culture systems. In 3D cell cultures, cancer cells are grown in an environment that more closely mimics the 3D architecture and complexity of in vivo tumors. This approach has revolutionized cancer research by providing a more accurate representation of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and enabling the study of tumor behavior and response to therapies in a more physiologically relevant context. One of the key benefits of 3D cell culture in cancer research is the ability to recapitulate the complex interactions …

Digital Phobia: An Inquiry For Mapping The Unseen Dimension Of New Digital Anxiety, The ‘Digiphobia’, Amarjit Kumar Singh ,Library Assistant, Md. Arshad Ali , Professional Assistant, Dr. Pankaj Mathur, Deputy Librarian,

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Background: As technology continues to advance, individuals' interactions with digital platforms have become integral to daily life. Amidst this technological evolution, a novel concern emerges—Digital Phobia, hereafter referred to as “Digiphobia.” This phenomenon, although not previously explored in scholarly literature, necessitates an in-depth investigation due to its potential impact on individuals' well-being. Our research employs a two-step methodology to investigate its existence, implications, and manifestations.

Introduction: This research paper introduces and proposes the term "Digiphobia" as a comprehensive conceptualization of anxiety arising from interactions with digital spaces, applications, and environments. The proliferation of digital technologies has led to the emergence …

Performance Of Photocatalytic Oxidizing Air Cleaners In Different Experimental Setups – A Review, Giovanni Cerrato, Nelson Fumo

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Photocatalytic oxidizing (PCO) air cleaners are offered for the abatement of gaseous pollutants (i.e., Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs). However, due to a lack of testing standards, the overall characterization of the technology's effectiveness has been met with conflicting results. Different studies use varying experimental setups, test conditions, and different PCO air cleaner designs. According to the literature, the majority of testing has been in controlled laboratory setups with favorable conditions. As PCO air cleaner testing is scaled up to more realistic environments and conditions, the PCO removal efficiency tends to significantly decrease. The differences in removal efficiency can be …

Suitability Of The Height Above Nearest Drainage (Hand) Model For Flood Inundation Mapping In Data-Scarce Regions: A Comparative Analysis With Hydrodynamic Models, Navin Tony Thalakkottukara, Jobin Thomas, Melanie Watkins, Benjamin C. Holland, Thomas Oommen, Himanshu Grover

Michigan Tech Publications

Unprecedented floods from extreme rainfall events worldwide emphasize the need for flood inundation mapping for floodplain management and risk reduction. Access to flood inundation maps and risk evaluation tools remains challenging in most parts of the world, particularly in rural regions, leading to decreased flood resilience. The use of hydraulic and hydrodynamic models in rural areas has been hindered by excessive data and computational requirements. In this study, we mapped the flood inundation in Huron Creek watershed, Michigan, USA for an extreme rainfall event (1000-year return period) that occurred in 2018 (Father’s Day Flood) using the Height Above Nearest Drainage …

Model Predictive Control Of A Lab-Scale Thermal Energy Storage System In Relap5-3d, Jaron Wallace, Daniel Hill, David Thurston, John Hedengren, Matthew Memmott

Faculty Publications

Increased renewable energy penetration of an electrical grid generally creates more supply fluctuations. Traditional base-load systems, such as nuclear power, can be retrofitted with thermal energy storage (TES) systems to meet supply demand fluctuations. These systems can store energy during low electricity demand times to allow the reactor to operate at constant power while simultaneously fluctuating electricity output. The control of these systems is of vital importance and Model Predictive Control (MPC) is a leading control mechanism for optimized production plans with forecast information. This study combines high fidelity RELAP5-3D models with MPC to control an experimental benchtop system that …

Engineering Neurotoxin-Functionalized Exosomes For Targeted Delivery To The Peripheral Nervous System, Mena Asha Krishnan, Olawale A. Alimi, Tianshu Pan, Mitchell Kuss, Zeljka Korade, Guoku Hu, Bo Liu, Bin Duan

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

The administration of therapeutics to peripheral nerve tissue is challenging due to the complexities of peripheral neuroanatomy and the limitations imposed by the blood–nerve barrier (BNB). Therefore, there is a pressing need to enhance delivery effectiveness and implement targeted delivery methods. Recently, erythrocyte-derived exosomes (Exos) have gained widespread attention as biocompatible vehicles for therapeutics in clinical applications. However, engineering targeted Exos for the peripheral nervous system (PNS) is still challenging. This study aims to develop a targeted Exo delivery system specifically designed for presynaptic terminals of peripheral nerve tissue. The clostridium neurotoxin, tetanus toxin-C fragment (TTC), was tethered to the …

Alice In Cyberspace 2024, Stanley Mierzwa

Center for Cybersecurity

‘Alice in Cyberspace’ Conference Nurtures Women’s Interest, Representation in Cybersecurity

Stick-Fixed Maneuver Points In Roll, Pitch, And Yaw And Associated Handling Qualities, Benjamin C. Moulton, Troy A. Abraham, Douglas F. Hunsaker

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Student Publications and Presentations

The stick-fixed pitch maneuver point is an important measure of aircraft longitudinal dynamic response and handling quality characteristics, and includes effects of both aerodynamic and inertia properties of the aircraft about the pitch axis. In the present work, the existence of stick-fixed roll and yaw maneuver points is demonstrated, which are determined from the lateral forces, moments, and inertial properties of the aircraft. These stick-fixed roll and yaw maneuver points are directly related to the predicted lateral handling qualities. Example results are included for several aircraft that demonstrate the importance of this parameter when predicting the dynamic response of the …

Evaluation Of First-Order Actuator Dynamics And Linear Controller For A Bio-Inspired Rotating Empennage Fighter Aircraft, Benjamin C. Moulton, Matthew W. Harris, Douglas F. Hunsaker, James J. Joo

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Student Publications and Presentations

This paper considers the problem of stabilizing a bio-inspired fighter aircraft variant at its Air Combat Maneuver Condition. The aircraft equations of motion are linearized, and an infinite-horizon linear quadratic regulator design is conducted for this aircraft. Included in the dynamics are first-order actuator models, which have the effect of slowing actuator responses. This is particularly important for the bio-inspired variant because it requires rotation of the empennage, which has relatively large inertia. The bio-inspired variant open-loop system is unstable in the short period and Dutch roll modes, which is mitigated in the closed-loop system. Monte Carlo simulation responses to …

Detection And Classification Of Sporadic E Using Convolutional Neural Networks, J. A. Ellis, Daniel J. Emmons, M. B. Cohen

Faculty Publications

In this work, convolutional neural networks (CNN) are developed to detect and characterize sporadic E (E_s), demonstrating an improvement over current methods. This includes a binary classification model to determine if Es is present, followed by a regression model to estimate the Es ordinary mode critical frequency (foEs), a proxy for the intensity, along with the height at which the Es layer occurs (hEs). Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and excess phase profiles from six Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) radio occultation (RO) missions during the years 2008–2022 are used as the inputs of the model. Intensity (foEs) and the …

Diagnosis Of Disease Affecting Gait With A Body Acceleration‑Based Model Using Reflected Marker Data For Training And A Wearable Accelerometer For Implementation, Mohammad Ali Takallou, Farahnaz Fallahtafti, Mahdi Hassan, Ali Al‑Ramini, Basheer Qolomany, Iraklis I. Pipinos, Sara A. Myers, F. M. Alsaleem

Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction: Faculty Publications

This paper demonstrates the value of a framework for processing data on body acceleration as a uniquely valuable tool for diagnosing diseases that affect gait early. As a case study, we used this model to identify individuals with peripheral artery disease (PAD) and distinguish them from those without PAD. The framework uses acceleration data extracted from anatomical reflective markers placed in different body locations to train the diagnostic models and a wearable accelerometer carried at the waist for validation. Reflective marker data have been used for decades in studies evaluating and monitoring human gait. They are widely available for many …

Yap Mechanotransduction Under Cyclic Mechanical Stretch Loading For Mesenchymal Stem Cell Osteogenesis Is Regulated By Rock, Eunju Kim, Brandon D. Riehl, Tasneem Bouzid, Ruiguo Yang, Bin Duan, Henry J. Donahue, Jung Yul Lim

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

While yes-associated protein (YAP) is now recognized as a potent mechanosensitive transcriptional regulator to affect cell growth and differentiation including the osteogenic transcription of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), most studies have reported the YAP mechanosensing of static mechanophysical cues such as substrate stiffness. We tested MSC response to dynamic loading, i.e., cyclic mechanical stretching, and assessed YAP mechanosensing and resultant MSC osteogenesis. We showed that cyclic stretching at 10% strain and 1 Hz frequency triggered YAP nuclear import in MSCs. YAP phosphorylation at S127 and S397, which is required for YAP cytoplasmic retention, was suppressed by cyclic stretch. We also …

Grand Challenges In Membrane Transport, Modeling And Simulation, Jacob Monroe, Chidambaram Thamariselvan, Ranil Wickramasinghe

Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Today, membranes play an increasing role in separation processes across a wide range of industries, including water treatment, biomedical applications, bioseparations, and gas separations (Yeom et al., 2022). Numerous different membrane types exist, which can be broadly categorized as either porous or non-porous, where pores may be or may not be filled with a separate phase from the bulk solvent and membrane phases. In addition, various driving forces exist - pressure, concentration, electric field, etc.—that lead to transport across the membrane. For a porous membrane, solute transport is usually governed by convective flow through the pores. Micron-sized pores are used …

Enhancing Bridge Resilience And Overheight Vehicle Mitigation Through Innovative Sacrificial Cushion Systems, Aly Mousaad Aly, Marc Hoffmann

Faculty Publications

Transportation departments have made significant strides in addressing the challenges posed by the increasing weights of trucks on bridges. While there is a growing awareness of overheight vehicle collisions with bridges, implementing effective countermeasures remains limited. The susceptibility of bridges to damage from such collisions is on the rise, further exacerbated by unpredictable lateral impact forces. This study employs nonlinear impact analysis to assess the response of an unprotected vehicle-girder model, yielding realistic deformation outcomes comparable to observed impacts on the US-61 bridge. Predictions for a truck traveling at 112.65 km/h indicate deformations of 0.229 m, 0.161 m, and 0.271 …

Statistical Analysis For Water Quality Data Using Anova (Case Study – Lake Burullus Influent Drains), Dr.Aya Hassan

Civil Engineering

Lake Burullus is considered one of the most valuable northern lakes in Egypt due to its unique ecological system and special location. Over the past four decades, the lake has suffered from high contamination levels due to expansion in fish farming and increasing of agricultural drainage water entering the southern side of the lake through eight influent drains. This research aims to assess the current situation of the lake’s influent drains. For this purpose, two types of statistical analysis, Mean average method, and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used. The water quality conditions for six major drains (Therah (Tira), Nashart, …

On Quantifying Global Carbon Emission From Oil Contaminated Lands Over Centuries, Kaveh Sookhak Lari, Greg B. Davis, Trevor Bastow, John L. Rayner

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Petroleum releases into the subsurface contribute to global soil carbon emissions. Quantifying releases and changes in releases of carbon from soils over the lifetime of a spill is complex. Natural source zone depletion (NSZD) of light non-aqueous phase liquids (LNAPLs) embodies all key mechanisms for transformation to carbon gases and their release from soils including partitioning, transport and degradation of petroleum components. Quantification of the interconnected behaviours of the soil microbiome, fluid flow, multi-component transport, partitioning, and biodegradation is crucial for understanding NSZD. Volatilization from LNAPL, aerobic biodegradation, methanogenesis, and heat production all lead to release of greenhouse gases to …

Understanding Timing Error Characteristics From Overclocked Systolic Multiply–Accumulate Arrays In Fpgas, Andrew Chamberlin, Andrew Gerber, Mason Palmer, Tim Goodale, Noel Daniel Gundi, Koushik Chakraborty, Sanghamitra Roy

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Artificial Intelligence (AI) hardware accelerators have seen tremendous developments in recent years due to the rapid growth of AI in multiple fields. Many such accelerators comprise a Systolic Multiply–Accumulate Array (SMA) as its computational brain. In this paper, we investigate the faulty output characterization of an SMA in a real silicon FPGA board. Experiments were run on a single Zybo Z7-20 board to control for process variation at nominal voltage and in small batches to control for temperature. The FPGA is rated up to 800 MHz in the data sheet due to the max frequency of the PLL, but the …

Flexural Behavior Of Pultruded Gfrp–Concrete Composite Beams Strengthened With Gfrp Stiffeners, Muataz I. Ali, Abbas A. Allawi, Ayman El-Zohairy

Faculty Publications

The utilization and incorporation of glass fiber-reinforced plastics (GFRP) in structural applications and architectural constructions are progressively gaining prominence. Therefore, this paper experimentally and numerically investigates the use of GFRP I-beams in conjunction with concrete slabs to form composite beams. The experimental design incorporated 2600 mm long GFRP I-beams which were connected compositely to concrete slabs with a 500 mm width and 80 mm thickness. The concrete slabs are categorized into two groups: concrete slabs cast using normal strength concrete (NSC), and concrete slabs prepared using high-strength concrete (HSC). Various parameters like the type of concrete (normal and high-strength concrete), …

Comparison Of Empirical And Analytical Eigenfunctions As Bases For Reduced Order Methods In Heat Transfer, Jakob G. Bates, Matthew R. Jones, Christopher R. Dillon, John Tencer

Student Works

Reduced order methods using spectral representations show promise in facilitating and accelerating heat transfer analyses. This paper proposes a taxonomy for reduced order methods, classifying a method as reduced order compression, modelling, or analysis. The performance of bases formed with analytical and empirical eigenfunctions are compared for representative reduced order tasks. The Akaike Information Criterion is applied in a novel way to compare the performance of these bases. The present study finds that both bases are parsimonious for reduced order compression tasks. Empirical eigenfunctions are more robust to for reduced order modelling with variations in modelling parameters such as thermal …

Commentary: A Patient-Specific Lower Extremity Biomechanical Analysis Of A Knee Orthotic During A Deep Squat Movement, Christine Dailey Walck

Publications

The recent study by Walck et al., titled “A Patient-Specific Lower Extremity Biomechanical Analysis of a Knee Orthotic during a Deep Squat Movement,” provides a novel insight into the biomechanical impacts of knee orthotics, particularly the non-linear spring-loaded (NLSL) knee joint orthosis (KJO)1 . This commentary aims to delve into the implications, interpretations, and evaluations of the findings, contextualizing them within the broader discourse on knee orthotics.

Clpfudatabase: A Suite Of R Packages For Energy Conversion Chain Analysis, Matthew Kuperus Heun, Zeke Marshall, Emmanuel Aramendia

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Energy flowing through societal energy conversion chains (ECCs) enables economic activity and facilitates human flourishing. To understand economic growth and human well-being, the field of societal energy analysis (Common, 1976) evaluates ECCs from the primary stage (resources extracted from the environment, such as coal, oil, natural gas, wind, and solar), to the final stage (energy purchased by consumers, such as refined petroleum and electricity), to the useful stage (energy desired by the end user, such as heat, motion, and light), and sometimes to energy services (such as thermal comfort, transport, and illumination). Societal exergy analysis (SEA) (Ertesvåg, 2001), an extension …

Development Of An Anisotropic Hyperelastic Material Model For Porcine Colorectal Tissues, Youssef Fahmy, Mohamed B. Trabia, Brian Ward, Lucas Gallup, Mary Froehlich

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Research

Many colonic surgeries include colorectal anastomoses whose leaks may be life-threatening, affecting thousands of patients annually. Various studies propose that mechanical interaction between the staples and neighboring tissues may play an important role in anastomotic leakage. Therefore, understanding the mechanical behavior of colorectal tissue is essential to characterizing the reasons for this type of failure. So far, experimental data characterizing the mechanical properties of colorectal tissue have been few and inconsistent, which has significantly limited understanding their behavior. This research proposes an approach to developing an anisotropic hyperelastic material model for colorectal tissues based on uniaxial testing of freshly harvested …

Low Complexity Doa Estimation Of Multiple Coherent Sources Using A Single Direct Data Snapshot, Ahmed A. Hussain, Nizar Tayem, Abdel-Hamid Soliman

Faculty Publications

The direction of arrival (DOA) estimation of multiple radio frequency (RF) coherent signals using conventional algorithms such as Multiple Signal Classification (MUSIC), Estimation of the Signal Parameters via the Rotational Invariance Technique (ESPRIT), and their variants is computationally complex and usually requires a large number of data snapshots for accurate estimation. As the number of antenna elements grows, particularly in massive MIMO systems, the complexity of real-time DOA estimation algorithms significantly rises, placing higher demands on computational power and memory resources. In this paper, we present an efficient approach that operates effectively with just a single snapshot for DOA estimation …

Enhancing Estimation Of Cover Crop Biomass Using Field-Based High-Throughput Phenotyping And Machine Learning Models, Geng Bai, Katja Koehler-Cole, David Scoby, Vesh R. Thapa, Andrea D. Basche, Yufeng Ge

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Incorporating cover crops into cropping systems offers numerous potential benefits, including the reduction of soil erosion, suppression of weeds, decreased nitrogen requirements for subsequent crops, and increased carbon sequestration. The aboveground biomass (AGB) of cover crops strongly influences their performance in delivering these benefits. Despite the significance of AGB, a comprehensive field-based high-throughput phenotyping study to quantify AGB of multiple cover crops in the U.S. Midwest has not been found. This study presents a two-year field experiment carried out in Eastern Nebraska, USA, to estimate AGB of five different cover crop species [canola (Brassica napus L.), rye (Secale …

Immersive Framework For Designing Trajectories Using Augmented Reality, Joseph Anderson, Leo Materne, Karis Cooks, Michelle Aros, Jaia Huggins, Jesika Geliga-Torres, Kamden Kuykendall, David Canales, Barbara Chaparro

Publications

The intuitive interaction capabilities of augmented reality make it ideal for solving complex 3D problems that require complex spatial representations, which is key for astrodynamics and space mission planning. By implementing common and complex orbital mechanics algorithms in augmented reality, a hands-on method for designing orbit solutions and spacecraft missions is created. This effort explores the aforementioned implementation with the Microsoft Hololens 2 as well as its applications in industry and academia. Furthermore, a human-centered design process and study are utilized to ensure the tool is user-friendly while maintaining accuracy and applicability to higher-fidelity problems.

One-Pot Assembly Of Drug-Eluting Silk Coatings With Applications For Nerve Regeneration, Tanner D. Fink, Jessica L. Funnell, Ryan J. Gilbert, R. Helen Zha

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Clinical use of polymeric scaffolds for tissue engineering often suffers from their inability to promote strong cellular interactions. Functionalization with biomolecules may improve outcomes; however, current functionalization approaches using covalent chemistry or physical adsorption can lead to loss of biomolecule bioactivity. Here, we demonstrate a novel bottom-up approach for enhancing the bioactivity of poly (l-lactic acid) electro spun scaffolds though interfacial coassembly of protein payloads with silk fibroin into nano thin coatings. In our approach, protein payloads are first added into an aqueous solution with Bombyx mori-derived silk fibroin. Phosphate anions are then added to trigger coassembly of the payload …

Redesign Of Leg Assembly And Implementation Of Reinforcement Learning For A Multi-Purpose Rehabilitation Robotic Device (Roborehab), Jacob Anthony, Chung-Hyun Goh, Alireza Yazdanshenas, Yong Tai Wang

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Patients who are suffering from neuromuscular disorders or injuries that impair motor control need to undergo rehabilitation to regain mobility. Gait training is commonly prescribed to patients to regain muscle memory. Automated-walking training devices were created to aid this process; while these devices establish accurate ankle-path trajectories, the knee and hip movements are inaccurate. In this work, a redesign of the leg assembly in a multi-purpose rehabilitation robotic device (RoboREHAB) was explored to improve hip- and knee-movement accuracy by adding an extra link and rollers to the assembly. Motion analysis was employed to test feasibility, reinforcement learning was utilized to …

Hanford Low-Activity Waste Vitrification: A Review, José Marcial, Brian J. Riley, Albert A. Kruger, Charmayne E. Lonergan, John D. Vienna

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This Paper Summarizes the Vast Body of Literature (Over 200 Documents) Related to Vitrification of the Low-Activity Waste (LAW) Fraction of the Hanford Tank Wastes. Details Are Provided on the Origins of the Hanford Tank Wastes that Resulted from Nuclear Operations Conducted between 1944 and 1989 to Support Nuclear Weapons Production. Waste Treatment Processes Are Described, Including the Baseline Process to Separate the Tank Waste into LAW and High-Level Waste Fractions, and the LAW Vitrification Facility Being Started at Hanford. Significant Focus is Placed on the Glass Composition Development and the Property-Composition Relationships for Hanford LAW Glasses. Glass Disposal Plans …

Converting Mass And Energy Balance Chemical Engineering Concepts Into Fundamentals Of Environmental Engineering (Enve 210), Kaycie Lane

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This evaluation of teaching examined the Fall 2023 semester of ENVE 210: Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering. The purpose of this study was to change the format of the class from a lecture-based to a flipped classroom approach through the use of pre-lectures, in-class problem sets and group work activities. In addition, this study aimed to better adapt chemical engineering textbook content related to mass and energy balances to environmental engineering by creating new environmental engineering specific and sustainable development problems. The study learning outcomes proved difficult to implement and evaluate in a hybrid distance learning class and will require future …

The Role Of Organizational Theory For The Formulation Of A Sustainable Model Applicable To Air Traffic Management And Control Operations, Eva Maleviti

Publications

This paper provides a comprehensive introduction to Air Traffic Management (ATM), which encompasses Air Traffic Control (ATC) procedures, Reduced Separation Vertical Minima (RVSM) and Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) schemes. It also discusses the role of these and other elements in promoting environmental sustainability and the key factors essential for creating effective aviation operations. The main objective of this paper is to identify and select the most relevant components for establishing a theoretical framework for sustainable ATM and ATC practices. Notably, the organizational theory is used in this paper, aiming to create a firm theoretical model that can support sustainability in the …