Engineering Commons^™

Optimization Of The Catalytic Performance Of Pd/Fe 3 O 4 Nanoparticles Prepared Via Microwave-Assisted Synthesis For Pharmaceutical And Catalysis Applications, Hany A. Elazab, Tamer T. El-Idreesy

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Microwave assisted synthesis technique was used to prepare palladium supported on iron oxide nanoparticles. The advantage of using microwave irradiation as a synthetic tool is due to its unique features as a one step, simple, versatile, and rapid process. The reactants are added simply at room temperature without using high-temperature injection. Hydrazine hydrate was added by the following ratios (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1, 1.6, and 3) ml to the different prepared samples at room temperature in order to investigate its effect on the catalytic performance of the prepared catalysts. The prepared catalyst could be used as an …

Exploring The Effects Of Electrospun Fiber Surface Nanotopography On Neurite Outgrowth And Branching In Neuron Cultures, Anthony R. D'Amato, Devan L. Puhl, Alexis M. Ziemba, Christopher D.L. Johnson, Janneke Doedee, Jonathan Bao, Ryan J. Gilbert

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Three aligned, electro spun fiber scaffolds with unique surface features were created from poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA). Fibers without surface nano topography (smooth fibers), fibers with surface divots (shallow pits), and fibers with surface pits (deeper pits) were fabricated, and fiber alignment, diameter, and density were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Whole dorsal root ganglia (DRG) were isolated from rats and placed onto uncoated fibers or fibers coated with laminin. On uncoated fibers, neurite outgrowth was restricted by fibers displaying devoted or pitted nano topography when compared to neurite outgrowth on smooth fibers. However, neurites extending from whole DRG cultured …

Fluorine-Containing Oxidizers For Metal Fuels In Energetic Formulations, Siva Kumar Valluri, Mirko Schoenitz, Edward Dreizin

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Fluorine containing oxidizers, primarily polymers, are extensively used in pyrotechnic compositions. Fluorinated oxidizers are less explored for metalized propellants and explosives despite a potential advantage of substantial heat release combined with gaseous combustion products. This review summarizes different types of fluorinated oxidizers used in energetic formulations or of potential interest for such systems, including gases, polymers, and inorganic compounds. Types of energetic formulations employing metals and fluoropolymers are discussed in more detail, including methods used to prepare composites and resulting salient features of the obtained materials. Laboratory experiments characterizing such materials, in particular, electron microscopy and thermal analysis, are discussed, …

Large-Strain Strength Of Polymer-Modified Kaolinite And Fly Ash-Kaolinite Mixtures, Xin Kang, Junnan Cao, Bate Bate

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Polymers have gained gradual attention in soil stabilization as a sustainable alternative to inorganic counterparts such as cement. However, the effects of polymers on the strength of soils and soil-waste mixtures are still unclear. Meanwhile, waste recycling has been important in fostering a sustainable environment in recent decades. To solve the deficiency in knowledge, large-strain strength of polymer-modified kaolinite (KA) and Class-F fly ash-kaolinite mixtures (FAKAs) was investigated with isotropically consolidated undrained triaxial compression tests. Both synthetic polymer (polyethylene oxide, PEO) and naturally occurring biopolymers (chitosan and xanthan gum) were used. An interface model was also proposed to account for …

Recent Advances On Carrier And Exciton Self-Trapping In Strontium Titanate: Understanding The Luminescence Emissions, Miguel L. Crespillo, Joseph T. Graham, Fernando Agullo-Lopez, Yanwen Zhang, William J. Weber

Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

An up-to-date review on recent results for self-trapping of free electrons and holes, as well as excitons, in strontium titanate (STO), which gives rise to small polarons and self-trapped excitons (STEs) is presented. Special attention is paid to the role of carrier and exciton self-trapping on the luminescence emissions under a variety of excitation sources with special emphasis on experiments with laser pulses and energetic ion-beams. In spite of the extensive research effort, a definitive identification of such localized states, as well as a suitable understanding of their operative light emission mechanisms, has remained lacking or controversial. However, promising advances …

A Pulse Sensor Interface Design For Fpga Based Multisensor Health Monitoring Platform, Yu Wang, Sunghoon Jang

Publications and Research

The FPGA-based platform is critical for producing an inexpensive early validation platform design. In past years, sensor nodes based on the FPGA platform have been proposed to be IoT low-end devices. In this study, we present the FPGA based IoT low-end reconfigurable pulse sensor interface design that can be integrated with a multi-sensor healthcare platform to monitor a human pulse vital sign and be able to distinguish between user normal, Bradycardia, or Tachycardia heart rate. The pulse sensor interface is implemented by VHDL programming and FPGA technology. The designed pulse sensor peripheral interface is reliable and reconfigurable. It can collect …

Aid Project Summary Report For Intelligent Compaction, David Q. Hunsucker, Kean H. Ashurst Jr., Brad W. Rister

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

This study reviews data from five roadway construction projects on which intelligent compaction (IC) techniques were used to achieve the more uniform compaction of road-building materials. Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) researchers looked at IC data collected from these projects — resulting in the production of eight analyzable data sets — to determine whether they complied with the special construction note included in contract documents. The report also compares the intelligent compaction measurement value (ICMV) collected on each project to traditional laboratory results. Researchers used Veta software to analyze geospatial data collected from IC machines during construction work. Of the data …

Graphene Based Functional Devices: A Short Review, Rong Wang, Xin Gang Ren, Ze Yan, Li (Lijun) Jun Jiang, Wei E.I. Sha, Guang Cun Shan

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Graphene is an ideal 2D material system bridging electronic and photonic devices. It also breaks the fundamental speed and size limits by electronics and photonics, respectively. Graphene offers multiple functions of signal transmission, emission, modulation, and detection in a broad band, high speed, compact size, and low loss. Here, we have a brief view of graphene based functional devices at microwave, terahertz, and optical frequencies. Their fundamental physics and computational models were discussed as well.

Deep-Turbulence Wavefront Sensing Using Digital Holography In The On-Axis Phase Shifting Recording Geometry With Comparisons To The Self-Referencing Interferometer, Douglas E. Thornton, Mark F. Spencer, Glen P. Perram

Faculty Publications

In this paper, we study the use of digital holography in the on-axis phase-shifting recording geometry for the purposes of deep-turbulence wavefront sensing. In particular, we develop closed-form expressions for the field-estimated Strehl ratio and signal-to-noise ratio for three separate phase-shifting strategies—the four-, three-, and two-step methods. These closed-form expressions compare favorably with our detailed wave-optics simulations, which propagate a point-source beacon through deep-turbulence conditions, model digital holography with noise, and calculate the Monte Carlo averages associated with increasing turbulence strengths and decreasing focal-plane array sampling. Overall, the results show the four-step method is the most efficient phase-shifting strategy and …

A Framework For Process Inspection Of Metal Additive Manufacturing, Chih-Kun Cheng, Frank W. Liou, Yi-Chien Cheng, Sheng-Chih Shen

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this paper, we propose a process inspection framework for metal additive manufacturing (AM) processes. AM, also known as 3D printing, is the process of joining materials to make objects on the basis of 3D model data and is envisioned to play a strategic role in maintaining economic and scientific dominance. Different from conventional manufacturing methods, the AM process is a point-by-point and layer-by-layer manufacturing. Thus, there are many opportunities to generate a process error that can cause quality issues in an AM part. A systematic AM process inspection is needed to yield acceptable performance of the part. The critical …

Closed-Form Solution For Curling Responses In Rigid Pavements, Jaime Hernandez, Imad L. Al-Qadi

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Closed-form expressions for calculating stresses and displacements of partially restrained concrete pavement caused by a linear temperature gradient are presented. Translational and rotational linear elastic springs along the slab edges defined the partial restraint. In addition to plate theory behavior, the model assumes linear elastic concrete and an infinitely long slab resting on a Winkler foundation. The solutions of curling stresses and displacements were validated using the finite-element (FE) method and quantified the effect of semirigid connections, slab and foundation material properties, and slab thickness and width on them. Rotational and translational restraints, which can be related to joint condition …

Clinical Research In Pneumonia: Role Of Artificial Intelligence, Timothy L. Wiemken, Robert R. Kelley, William A. Mattingly, Julio A. Ramirez

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

No abstract provided.

Mean Curvature Flow Of Compact Spacelike Submanifolds In Higher Codimension, Brendan Guilfoyle, Wilhelm Klingenberg

Publications

We prove long-time existence for mean curvature flow of a smooth n-dimensional spacelike submanifold of an n + m dimensional manifold whose metric satisfies the timelike curvature condition.

Introducing The Default Effect: Reducing The Gap Between Theoretical Prediction And Actual Energy Consumed By Dwellings Through Characterising Data More Representative Of National Dwellings Stocks, Ciara Ahern

Doctoral

Dwelling stock models that include the renovation status of the dwelling stock enable energy analyses of the stock. Using Ireland’s predominant single‐family housing typology as a case study dwelling, the overarching objective of this research is to define a transparent generalisable methodology to create a stock model from a large empirical Energy Performance Certification (EPC) database, employing reference dwellings (RDs) defined using a ‘bottom‐up’ approach. RDs are to be reported in compliance with Regulation No. (EU) 244/2012. The generalisable methodology defined allows for the development of stock models from EPC datasets. Where obtaining the required data would be prohibitively costly, …

Influence Of Micro-Structured Superhydrophobic Surfaces On Nucleation And Natural Convection In A Heated Pool, Adam Cowley, Daniel Maynes, Julie Crockett, Brian D. Iverson

Faculty Publications

This word experimentally explores sub-boiling pool nucleation on micro-structured superhydrophobic surfaces. All surfaces tested were submerged in a 20 mm deep pool of water and heated from below to maintain a constant surface temperature, while the side walls of the pool were insulated, and the top was covered. Three thermocouples positioned in the pool obtain the average pool temperature. A heat flux sensor is placed directly beneath the surface to measure the heat flux supplied to the pool. Free convection heat transfer coefficients are obtained for the sub-boiling temperature range of 40 – 90 ºC. Six surface types are studied: …

Deficit Irrigation Management Of Maize In The High Plains Aquifer Region: A Review, Daran Rudnick, Sibel Irmak, C. West, J.L. Chavez, I. Kisekka, T.H. Marek, J.P. Schneekloth, D. Mitchell Mccallister, V. Sharma, K. Djaman, J. Aguilar, M.E. Schipanski, D.H. Rogers, A. Schlegel

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Irrigated agriculture is a major economic contributor of the High Plains Region and it primarily relies on the High Plains Aquifer as a source of water. Over time, areas of the High Plains Aquifer have experienced drawdowns limiting its ability to supply sufficient water to sustain fully irrigated crop production. This among other reasons, including variable climatic factors and differences in state water policy, has resulted in some areas adopting and practicing deficit irrigation management. Considerable research has been conducted across the High Plains Aquifer region to identify locally appropriate deficit irrigation strategies. This review summarizes and discusses research conducted …

Rubik's Cube: A Visual And Tactile Learning Of Algorithms And Patterns, Lawrence Muller

Open Educational Resources

This is a classroom activity report on teaching algorithms as part of a second course in computer programming. Teaching an algorithm in an introductory level programming class is often a dry task for the instructor and the rewards for the student are abstract. To make the learning of algorithms and software more rewarding, this assignment employs a Rubik’s cube.

From Micro To Macro-Contaminants: The Impact Of Low-Energy Titanium Dioxide Photocatalysis Followed By Filtration On The Mitigation Of Drinking Water Organics, Brooke K. Mayer, Carlan Johnson, Yu Yang, Nicole Wellenstein, Emily K. Maher, Patrick J. Mcnamara

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

This study evaluated strategies targeting macro- and micro-organic contaminant mitigation using low-energy titanium dioxide photocatalysis. Energy inputs of 1, 2, and 5 kWh m⁻³ resulted in incomplete oxidation of macro-organic natural organic matter, signified by greater reductions of UV₂₅₄ and specific ultraviolet UV absorbance (SUVA) in comparison to dissolved organic carbon (DOC). The rate of UV₂₅₄ removal was 3 orders of magnitude greater than the rate of DOC degradation. Incomplete oxidation improved operation of downstream filtration processes. Photocatalysis at 2 kWh m⁻³ increased the bed life of downstream granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration by 340% relative …

Toxicity Of Various Pyrolysis Liquids From Biosolids On Methane Production Yield, Seyedfatemeh Seyedi, Kaushik Venkiteshwaran, Daniel Zitomer

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Aqueous pyrolysis liquid (APL) is a high-COD byproduct of wastewater biosolids pyrolysis that is comprised of numerous complex organic compounds and ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N). One potential beneficial use of APL is as a co-digestate to produce more biogas in anaerobic digesters. However, some APL organics and NH₃-N are known to inhibit methane-producing microbes. Autocatalytic pyrolysis which uses previously-produced biochar as a catalyst during biosolids pyrolysis, increases energy-rich py-gas while eliminating bio-oil production and reducing COD concentration in the APL (catalyzed APL). However, the catalyzed APL still has a high organic strength and no suitable treatment strategies …

Quantifying Proliferative And Surface Marker Heterogeneity In Colony‐Founding Connective Tissue Progenitors And Their Progeny Using Time‐Lapse Microscopy, Edward Kwee, Gerald M. Saidel, Kimerly Powell, Christopher M. Heylman, Cynthia A. Boehm, George F. Muschler

Biomedical Engineering

Connective tissue progenitors (CTPs) are defined as the heterogeneous population of tissue‐resident stem and progenitor cells that are capable of proliferating and differentiating into connective tissue phenotypes. The prevalence and variation in clonal progeny of CTPs can be characterized using a colony formation assay. However, colony assays do not directly assess the characteristics of the colony‐founding CTP. We performed large, field‐of‐view, time‐lapse microscopy to manually track colonies back to the founding cells. Image processing and analysis was used to characterize the colonies and their founding cells. We found that the traditional colony‐forming unit (CFU) assay underestimates the number of founding …

Kinematic Foot Types In Youth With Pes Planovalgus Secondary To Cerebral Palsy, Juliet Amene, Joseph J. Krzak, Karen M. Kruger, Logan Killen, Haluk Altiok, Peter A. Smith, Gerald F. Harris

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Kinematic variability of the foot and ankle segments exists during ambulation among individuals with pes planovalgus (PPV) secondary to cerebral palsy (CP). Clinicians have previously recognized such variability through classification schemes to identify subgroups of individuals, but have been unable to identify kinematic foot types.

Research question

The purpose of this work was to identify kinematic foot types among children with PPV secondary to CP using 3-dimensional multi-segment foot and ankle kinematics during gait as inputs for principal component analysis (PCA) and K-means cluster analysis.

Methods

In a single assessment session, multi-segment foot and ankle kinematics using the …

Parallelized Particle Swarm Optimization To Estimate The Heat Transfer Coefficients Of Palm Oil, Canola Oil, Conventional, And Accelerated Petroleum Oil Quenchants, Zoltán Fried, Imre Felde, Rosa L. Simencio Otero, Jônatas M. Viscaino, George E. Totten, Lauralice Canale

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

An inverse solver for the estimation of the temporal-spatial heat transfer coefficients (HTC), without using prior information of the thermal boundary conditions, was used for immersion quenching into palm oil, canola oil, and two commercial petroleum oil quenchants. The particle swarm optimization (PSO) method was used on near-surface temperature-time cooling curve data obtained with the so-called Tensi multithermocouple, and a 12.5 by 45 mm Inconel 600 probe. The fitness function to be minimized by a PSO approach is defined by the deviation of the measured and calculated cooling curves. The PSO algorithm was parallelized and implemented on a graphics accelerator …

The Bridge Newsletter Spring 2019, Missouri University Of Science And Technology

The Bridge Newsletter

-Building better aerogels
-Bridge repair needs
-Incoming ASCE President speaks

Fluorescence Of Cdse/Zns Quantum Dots In Toluene: Effect Of Cyclic Temperature, Ting Chen, Weiling Luan, Shaofu Zhang, Fuqian Yang

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Quantum dots (QDs) are the potential material for the application in optical thermometry, and have been successfully applied to solar cells, LEDs, bio-labeling, structural health monitoring, etc. In this paper, we study the fluorescence properties of CdSe/ZnS QDs in toluene under the action of heating-cooling cycles. The experimental results show that, in a heating-cooling cycle, increasing temperature causes red-shift of the emission peak and the decrease of the PL intensity, and decreasing temperature causes blue-shift of the emission peak and the increase of the PL intensity. The surface structures of the QDs likely are dependent on the cycle numbers, which …

Control Upstream Austenite Grain Coarsening During Thin Slab Casting Direct Rolling (Tscdr) Process, Tihe Zhou, Ronald J. O'Malley, Hatem S. Zurob, Mani Subramanian, San-Hyun Cho, Peng Zhang

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Thin-slab cast direct-rolling (TSCDR) has become a major process for flat-rolled production. However, the elimination of slab reheating and limited number of thermomechanical deformation passes leave fewer opportunities for austenite grain refinement, resulting in some large grains persisting in the final microstructure. In order to achieve excellent ductile to brittle transition temperature (DBTT) and drop weight tear test (DWTT) properties in thicker gauge high-strength low-alloy products, it is necessary to control austenite grain coarsening prior to the onset of thermomechanical processing. This contribution proposes a suite of methods to refine the austenite grain from both theoretical and practical perspectives, including: …

Micron-Sized Spinel Crystals In High Level Waste Glass Compositions: Determination Of Crystal Size And Crystal Fraction, C. (Charmayne) E. Lonergan, K. Akinloye-Brown, J. Rice, V. Gervasio, N. Canfield, M. J. Schweiger, J. D. Vienna

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The compositions utilized for immobilization of high-level nuclear wastes (HLW) are controlled using glass property models to avoid the deleterious effects of crystallization in the high-level waste (HLW) vitrification melters. The type and size of the crystals that precipitate during melter operations (typically at 1150 °C) and idling (∼1000 °C) are significantly impacted by glass composition and thermal history. This study was conducted to measure the impact of melt composition and heat treatment temperature on crystal size and fraction. A matrix of 31 multi-component glasses canvasing the expected Hanford HLW compositional space was developed and the glasses fabricated, and heat …

Deep Learning Segmentation Of Coronary Calcified Plaque From Intravascular Optical Coherence Tomography (Ivoct) Images With Application To Finite Element Modeling Of Stent Deployment, Yazan Gharaibeh, Pengfei Dong, David Prabhu, Chaitanya Kolluru, Juhwan Lee, Vlad Zimin, Hozhabr Mozafari, Hiram Bizzera, Linxia Gu, David Wilson

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

Because coronary artery calcified plaques can hinder or eliminate stent deployment, interventional cardiologists need a better way to plan interventions, which might include one of the many methods for calcification modification (e.g., atherectomy). We are imaging calcifications with intravascular optical coherence tomography (IVOCT), which is the lone intravascular imaging technique with the ability to image the extent of a calcification, and using results to build vessel-specific finite element models for stent deployment. We applied methods to a large set of image data (>45 lesions and > 2,600 image frames) of calcified plaques, manually segmented by experts into calcified, lumen and …

Effect Of Limited Water Supplies On Center Pivot Performance, Derrel Martin, Derek M. Heeren, Steve Melvin, Troy Ingram

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Presentations and White Papers

When appropriately designed and operated, center pivot irrigation systems can efficiently irrigate many crops grown on diverse soil and terrain conditions. However, a significant number of pivots are not supplied with an adequate water to operate as envisioned.

We simulated the hydraulics of a center pivot irrigation system, including the pump curve, flow rate, pipeline hydraulics, pressure regulators, nozzle flow rate, and irrigation application uniformity. This was used to analyse the performance of a center pivot for a sloping field for both adequate and inadequate water flow rate. The performance was simulated for a range of inlet pressures when pressure …

Biomaterial Substrate Modifications That Influence Cell-Material Interactions To Prime Cellular Responses To Nonviral Gene Delivery, Amy Mantz, Angela K. Pannier

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Gene delivery is the transfer of exogenous genetic material into somatic cells to modify their gene expression, with applications including tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, sensors and diagnostics, and gene therapy. Viral vectors are considered the most effective system to deliver nucleic acids, yet safety concerns and many other disadvantages have resulted in investigations into an alternative option, i.e. nonviral gene delivery. Chemical nonviral gene delivery is typically accomplished by electrostatically complexing cationic lipids or polymers with negatively charged nucleic acids. Unfortunately, nonviral gene delivery suffers from low efficiency due to barriers that impede transfection success, including intracellular processes such as …

Meaningful Learner Information For Mooc Instructors Examined Through A Contextualized Evaluation Framework, Kerrie Douglas, Mitch Zielinski, Hillary Merzdorf, Heidi Diefes-Dux, Peter Bermel

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Improving STEM MOOC evaluation requires an understanding of the current state of STEM MOOC evaluation, as perceived by all stakeholders. To this end, we investigated what kinds of information STEM MOOC instructors currently use to evaluate their courses and what kinds of information they feel would be valuable for that purpose. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 14 faculty members from a variety of fields and research institutions who had taught STEM MOOCs on edX, Coursera, or Udacity. Four major themes emerged related to instructors’ desires: (1) to informally assess learners as an instructor might in a traditional classroom, (2) to …