Engineering Commons^™

Q&A With Dr. Elizabeth Vargis | College Of Engineering, Utah State University

College of Engineering News

Q: What motivated you to pursue a career in biological engineering? What motivates you to stick with it? A: My father is a mechanical engineer and my mother is a microbiologist. I grew up working with my dad on projects around the house (whether they were necessary or not) and learning about weird diseases and new diagnostic tools from my mom. When I started college, I considered becoming a doctor but found myself more interested in working to make healthcare more effective and accessible. I work on those problems now, making better models of the human eye and developing new …

Control Strategies For Integrated Continuous Bioprocessing, Christoph Herwig

Integrated Continuous Biomanufacturing IV

Continuous Bioprocessing is perceived to deliver constant product quality and to achieve higher time space yields. This is not new. Other market segments run well established continuous processes successfully since decades. What do we need to do? Just establishing continuous single unit operations (e.g. SMB chromatography) will not suffice. We need to have an integrated look at the entire process chain and stringently use the following control strategies :

• Capture process variability of the preceding unit operation using advanced PAT tools. Just measuring CPPs will not suffice: We need RMAs and intermediate CQAs to be transparent across the process chain. …

Workshop 3: Business Cases For Integrated And Continuous Biomanufacturing, Jessica Molek, Daisie Ogawa

Integrated Continuous Biomanufacturing IV

No Abstract.

Enabling Stakeholder Decision-Making With Earth Observation And Modeling Data Using Tethys Platform, E. James Nelson, Sarva T. Pulla, Mir A. Matin, Kiran Shakya, Norm Jones, Daniel P. Ames, W. Lee Ellenburg, Kel N. Markert, Cédric H. David, Benjamin F. Zaitchik, Patrick Gatlin, Riley Hales

Faculty Publications

Tethys Platform is an open source framework for developing web-based applications for Earth Observation data. Our experience shows that Tethys significantly lowers the barrier for cloud-based app development, simplifies the process of accessing scalable distributed cloud computing resources and leverages additional software for data and computationally intensive modeling. The Tethys software development kit allows users to create web apps for visualizing, analyzing, and modeling Earth Observation data. Tethys platform provides a collaborative environment for scientists to develop and deploy several Earth Observation web applications across multiple Tethys portals. We work in partnership with leading regional organizations world-wide to help developing …

Usu Students Take Third At National Wastewater Design Challenge | College Of Engineering, Utah State University

College of Engineering News

Utah State University students grabbed another national victory at a wastewater design challenge last month in Chicago.

Ligaos Is A Fast Li-Ion Conductor: A First-Principles Prediction, Xueling Lei, Wenjun Wu, Bo Xu, Chuying Ouyang, Kevin Huang

Faculty Publications

Solid Li-ion conducting electrolytes are highly sought for all solid-state Li-batteries, which are considered the next-generation safe batteries. Here a systematic computational study on the intrinsic transport properties of lithium gallium oxysulfide, LiGaOS (S. G. Pmc21), as a potential solid-state Li-ion electrolyte have been reported. The phonon dispersion spectrum analysis indicates that LiGaOS crystal structure is dynamically stable. The energy band structure and density of states calculations suggest that LiGaOS is an insulator with a wide indirect band gap of ∼5.44 eV. The CI-NEB calculations reveal that the “kick-off” collective migration via Li-interstitials is the dominant conduction mechanism …

Spatio-Temporal Analysis Of Highway Congestion And Accidents: A Case Study Of Interstate 285 In Georgia, Melodi Zhan-Moodie

Master of Science in Civil Engineering Theses

Road traffic crashes threaten thousands of drivers every day and significant efforts have been put forth to reduce the number of traffic crashes and their impact. Traffic congestion could be both a result of and a contributing factor to traffic crashes. The aim of this study is to investigate spatio-temporal traffic congestion and crash patterns to gain a better understanding of the causation of congestion and accidents, and their interaction. The Interstate 285 (I-285) in Georgia was used as a case study. With the aid of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), spatial clustering and densities of accidents were performed by following …

Effect Of Light Activated Self-Healing Polymers On The Performance Of Asphalt Pavement Containing Recycled Asphalt Materials (Rap/Ras), Sharareh Shirzad

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A new generation of Ultraviolet (UV) light-induced self-healing polymers was introduced for the asphalt pavement application with the aim to enhance pavements durability while increasing its service life. The developed self-healing polymer was mixed with asphalt binder using two different methods, passive and reactive. For the passive method, the cured self-healing polymer was ground to smaller particle size and then it was mixed with asphalt binder using a high shear stirrer and at a high temperature. For the reactive method, self-healing polyurethane pre-polymer was added to the asphalt binder at a lower temperature and lower shear rate compare to the …

From Buildings To Boeing | College Of Engineering, Utah State University

College of Engineering News

Jorge Espinoza followed a lot of pathways in search of his future career.

Facile Microwave-Assisted Synthetic Approach To Palladium Nanoparticles Supported On Copper Oxide As An E±Cient Catalyst For Heck And Sonogashira Cross-Coupling Reactions, Hany A. Elazab Dr

Chemical Engineering

A simple green method for the synthesis of highly active palladium nanoparticles embedded on copper oxide as an efficient catalyst for ligand–free Heck cross–coupling reactions is developed. The approach is based on simultaneous chemical reduction of an aqueous solution of palladium and copper salts in microwave using hydrazine hydrate as the reducing agent. Full characterization of the catalyst with transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), reveal a size range of 25 ± 2 nm for the generated catalyst nanoparticles. The use of the generated Pd/CuO nanoparticles is highly advantageous due to the use …

Mechanical Engineering News, Georgia Southern University

Mechanical Engineering: News & Publications (2013-2023)

• American Foundry Society Chapter Established
• AFS Student Chapter Competes in Casting Competition

Effect Of Silica Fume In Concrete On Mechanical Properties And Dynamic Behaviors Under Impact Loading, Shijun Zhao, Qing Zhang

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

The effect of silica fume (SF) in concrete on mechanical properties and dynamic behaviors was experimentally studied by split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) device with pulse shaping technique. Three series of concrete with 0, 12%, and 16% SF as a cement replacement by weight were produced firstly. Then the experimental procedure for dynamic tests of concrete specimens with SF under a high loading rate was presented. Considering the mechanical performance and behaviors of the concrete mixtures, those tests were conducted under five different impact velocities. The experimental results clearly show concrete with different levels of SF is a strain-rate sensitive …

Microwave-Assisted Synthesis Of Graphene Supported Hexagonal Magnetite For Applications In Catalysis, Hany A. Elazab, M. A. Radwan, M. A. Sadek

Chemical Engineering

Herein, we report a rapid one-step synthetic method using microwave irradiation for growing magnetite nanocrystals on reduced graphene oxide sheets. This developed strategy allows decorating graphene sheets with magnetite nanocrystals of well-defined morphology as cubes using microwave-driven reduction of iron chloride using hydrazine hydrate as a reducing agent. The size and shape control was achieved via fine-tuning of the reaction conditions. The obtained results demonstrate the applicability of this microwave synthetic approach to control the morphology of the magnetite nanocrystals anchored on graphene sheets. Moreover, graphene sheets will enhance the nucleation and growth of magnetite nanoplates anchored on graphene. This …

Computationally Aided Design Of A High-Performance Organic Semiconductor: The Development Of A Universal Crystal Engineering Core, Anthony J. Petty Ii, Qianxiang Ai, Jeni C. Sorli, Hamna F. Haneef, Geoffrey E. Purdum, Alex M. Boehm, Devin B. Granger, Kaichen Gu, Carla Patricia Lacerda Rubinger, Sean R. Parkin, Kenneth R. Graham, Oana D. Jurchescu, Yueh-Lin Loo, Chad Risko, John E. Anthony

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Herein, we describe the design and synthesis of a suite of molecules based on a benzodithiophene “universal crystal engineering core”. After computationally screening derivatives, a trialkylsilylethyne-based crystal engineering strategy was employed to tailor the crystal packing for use as the active material in an organic field-effect transistor. Electronic structure calculations were undertaken to reveal derivatives that exhibit exceptional potential for high-efficiency hole transport. The promising theoretical properties are reflected in the preliminary device results, with the computationally optimized material showing simple solution processing, enhanced stability, and a maximum hole mobility of 1.6 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹.

Preface, Shahram Latifi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

Hydrocyclones For Single-Use Perfusion Application, Ioná W. Bettinardi, Andreas Castan, Ricardo A. Medronho, Leda R. Castilho

Integrated Continuous Biomanufacturing IV

Hydrocyclones (HC) are very compact devices that promote solid-liquid separation under the action of a centrifugal field. Despite the small size, HCs have a large processing capacity and do not suffer from clogging. Therefore, several publications explored HCs as a potential cell retention device in perfusion applications in the last 20 years, but limited to non-disposable lab-scale bioreactors and to relatively low cell densities (up to ~10 million cells/mL).

Even though the absence of moving parts may streamline the HC manufacturing, the performance of solid-liquid separation is highly dependent on the HC internal geometry. Said that, hydrocyclones can be produced …

Production Of Zika Virus-Like Particles (Vlps) By Perfusion Processes, Renata G. F. Alvim, Leda R. Castilho

Integrated Continuous Biomanufacturing IV

Zika virus (ZIKV) emerged as a major international public health concern in 2015 and rapidly spread to more than 80 countries in Africa, Asia and the Americas. ZIKV infection has been shown to cause Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults, as well as severe congenital malformations in fetuses from as much as 42% of infected mothers (Brasil et al., 2016, doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1602412). While no ZIKV vaccine becomes approved for human use, periodic outbreaks will continue to occur in endemic regions and the risk of spreading to non-endemic regions will continue to exist, especially because ZIKV persists in body fluids for very long time …

Workshop: Regulatory Gaps In Continuous Processing, Andrew Sinclair, Karen Sitney

Integrated Continuous Biomanufacturing IV

1 Objectives To provide a forum for participants to discuss and share experiences relating regulatory approaches and challenges when implementing or considering ICB.

Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract.

Optimization Study On Periodic Counter-Current Chromatography (Pcc) Integrated In A Mab Downstream Process, Joaquin Gomis Fons, Niklas Andersson, Bernt Nilsson

Integrated Continuous Biomanufacturing IV

In the biopharmaceutical market, there is an increasing pressure to reduce prices. Nowadays, a big part of the manufacturing cost is due to the product purification. A big effort has been made in this matter to reduce costs, and continuous downstream processes like periodic counter-current chromatography (PCC) have gained interest in the last years due to a higher productivity and resin utilization compared to a batch process. Herein, a PCC process is integrated with a virus inactivation and two ion-exchange chromatography steps (polishing steps) for the purification of mAb at lab scale, and multi-objective optimization is used to compare several …

Conference Program, Veena Warikoo, Alois Jungbauer, Jon Coffman, Jason Walther

Integrated Continuous Biomanufacturing IV

No Abstract.

Experimental Design And Small-Scale Model For High-Performing Perfusion Media And Processes Scalable To 50 L Bioreactors, Andreas Castan, Patrick M Ayrhofer, Renate Kunert

Integrated Continuous Biomanufacturing IV

Cell culture perfusion processes are considered optimal for a truly integrated continuous biomanufacturing pipeline. The nutrient-rich but balanced media should be designed to support very low cell-specific perfusion rates (CSPR) that minimize media consumption but maximize viable cell days and productivities. Optimized processes at low CSPR drastically reduce equipment costs, lab space, and product dilution. Finally, operating at very low CSPR enables running mammalian cell bioprocesses as true chemostat cultures in the future. We demonstrate a general workflow to develop high-performing perfusion media using small-scale models and transferred the process to 50 L scale at CSPR of 20 pL/c/d.

Recombinant …

Continuous Process Performance Enhancements For 50 L To 500 L Single-Use Bioreactors: A Technical Comparison Of Erformance Characterization, Cell Culture, And Scale-Up Modeling, Tony Hsiao, Nephi Jones, Jordan Cobia

Integrated Continuous Biomanufacturing IV

Improvements in single-use systems have allowed implementation of high-density cultures in emerging bioprocess work flows. Specifically, advantages of single-use bioreactors have been realized in perfusion applications in high-density seed train intensification or as a compact production-scale bioreactor system. Due to this and additional progressive advances in media optimization and improved clone genetic selection have increased stress on the perceived performance limitations of single-use bioreactors. This study shows integration of the Thermo Scientific™ HyPerforma™ Single-Use Bioreactor (S.U.B.) and how strategic enhancements to the sparger and agitation systems have revealed the potential for 3-4X improvement of mixing and mass transfer performance compared …

Adaptive Randomized Rounding In The Big Parsimony Problem, Sangho Shim, Sunil Chopra, Eunseok Kim

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Analog Implementation Of The Hodgkin-Huxley Model Neuron, Zachary D. Mobille, George H. Rutherford, Jordan Brandt-Trainer, Rosangela Follmann, Epaminondas Rosa

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Multidisciplinary Education And Research In Biomathematics For Solving Global Challenges, Padmanabhan Seshaiyer

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Evaluating The Pitch | College Of Engineering, Utah State University

College of Engineering News

Mechanical engineering Professor Barton Smith is best known for two signature characteristics: he’s a baseball fan; and he’s skeptical when someone claims to know something with absolute certainty. His Twitter handle, after all, is @NotRealCertain. Smith’s reluctance to embrace what others consider final truth makes him an ideal candidate to study one of the most perplexing questions in sports science. It’s one that has captivated fans and conspiracy theorists for months: What’s behind the increase in home runs in pro baseball?

Syrup Process Optimization, Anelis Susana Chiluisa Calvache

Honors Theses

The purpose of this project involves the optimization of a marshmallow syrup process, sponsored by the owners of the line, the Kellogg Company was the sponsor. This report shows the work that was done for the period of three months, and covers the objective of the project, as well as the problem statement. The Kellogg Company currently produces a Syrup as an ingredient in the production of several cereal bars. The process is divided in four sections: Gelling Mix Tank, Syrup Mix Tank, Syrup Cool Tank and Syrup Use Tank. The entire process itself takes around 80 to 120 minutes …

Oh Production And Jet Length Of An Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma Jet For Soft And Biomaterial Treatment, Ryan P. Gott, Kunning G. Xu

PRC-Affiliated Research

Atmospheric-pressure plasma jets (APPJs) are currently being studied and developed for the biomedical, chemistry, and physics communities because of their ability to produce desirable reactive species at low temperatures and at atmospheric pressures. Due to the high particle densities, small scales, and nonequilibrium nature of these plasmas, they can be difficult to predict and compare across devices. In this article, a plasma jet is operated over a range of conditions and characterized by using optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and synchronized imaging. The effect of the operating conditions on the gas temperature, jet length, plasma formation, and reactive species produced is …

Oh Production And Jet Length Of An Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma Jet For Soft And Biomaterial Treatment, Ryan P. Gott, Kunning G. Xu

PRC-Affiliated Research

Atmospheric-pressure plasma jets (APPJs) are currently being studied and developed for the biomedical, chemistry, and physics communities because of their ability to produce desirable reactive species at low temperatures and at atmospheric pressures. Due to the high particle densities, small scales, and nonequilibrium nature of these plasmas, they can be difficult to predict and compare across devices. In this article, a plasma jet is operated over a range of conditions and characterized by using optical emission spectroscopy (OES) and synchronized imaging. The effect of the operating conditions on the gas temperature, jet length, plasma formation, and reactive species produced is …

Surface Acoustic Wave Spectroscopy Versus Nanoindentation: Potentials And Limits For Coating Characterization, Martin Zawischa, Dieter Schneider, Stefan, Makowski, Lars Lorenz

Nanomechanical Testing in Materials Research and Development VII

Measuring mechanical film properties is essential for understanding and designing coating systems as well for controlling quality in coating manufacturing. Since more than two decades, two methods for determining Young’s modulus and other mechanical properties of thin films are widely used: The instrumented indentation technique (nanoindentation) and the laser-induced surface acoustic wave spectroscopy (LiSAWS). Due to their different physical principles, both methods address different fields of application but also complement each other. This presentation gives an overview for typical applications, strengths and limits for both methods from practical points of view like precision, requirements for sample material, preparation and test …