Engineering Commons^™

Characterization Of A Malachite Green Dna Aptamer And Development Of Malachite Green Dna Aptamer Sensor, Martin O'Steen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Hydrogels have been extensively studied for use in applications such as tissue engineering, drug delivery systems, wound dressing, actuators, valves, and sensors in Micromechanical Systems (MEMS), among others. Thermo-responsive hydrogels in particular pose various advantages such as their capability to respond to an external stimulus and reverse the response when the stimulus is removed and the ability to imbibe a significant amount of solvent and increase their volume by over 1000%. Extensive research has been conducted to tune and improve hydrogel's rate and degree of swelling and mechanical properties. Previous work showed that when synthetic clay (Laponite) is cross-linked with …

An Econometric Analysis Of Domestic Aviation In The Us, Sudipta Dey Tirtha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

In this dissertation, we examine two dimensions of domestic aviation - demand and delay - that directly influence economic impact of the sector. We conduct a comprehensive analysis of airline demand employing airline data compiled by Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The demand analysis is conducted in three steps. First, we propose a novel modeling approach for modeling airline demand evolution over time. Specifically, we develop a joint panel group generalized ordered probit (GGOP) model system for modeling air passenger arrivals and departures in a discretized framework that subsumes the traditional linear regression approach. Further, we consider the influence of observed …

On Liquid Rotating Detonation Rocket Engines Characterization And Performance, Vidhan Malik

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The current research investigates a next-generation method of combustion called detonations for propulsive applications which has support from the Combustion Services Branch at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) of the Rocket Propulsion Division. The overall initiative seeks to explore the viability of detonation-based systems to augment or replace current rocket propulsion methods in the coming five years. The present work progresses this vision by providing proof of a liquid RP-2 based Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine (RDRE) as well as the fundamentals associated with the physics involved to further the understanding of the phenomenon and its potential uses. Phase one …

Decentralized Digital Fabrication Of Flexible Micro/Nano Devices Using A Laserjet Printer, Arshya Bamshad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The fabrication of traditional micro/nano devices requires access to cleanrooms, complex and expensive tools, and highly-skilled labor. A facile and digital do-it-yourself (DIY) technique for the fabrication of low-cost devices on flexible substrates (paper, cloth, and plastic films) is presented in this work. A set of office-grade equipment (i.e., laserjet printer, thermal laminator, computer-aided paper cutter), and commercially available supplies (i.e., baking wax paper, furniture restoration metal-leaf) are utilized. The presented technology enables community-embedded production by removing a high technological barrier. The validity of the proposed technology was proved by designing three levels of experiments, i.e., patterns, devices, and systems. …

A Unified Tool For Adaptive Collocation Techniques Applied To Solving Optimal Control Problems, Bethany Kelly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

In this work, a user-friendly MATLAB tool is introduced to solve nonlinear optimal control problems by applying collocation techniques using Coupled Radial Basis Functions (CRBFs). CRBFs are a new class of Radial Basis Functions combined with a conical spline r^5, which provides the advantage of insensitivity to the shape parameter while maintaining accuracy and robustness. To solve optimal control problems, software tools are often employed to implement numerical methods and apply advanced techniques to solving differential equations. Although several commercial software tools exist for solving optimal control problems, such as ICLOCS2, GPOPS, and DIDO, there are no options available that …

Evolution And Diffusion Of Icts In The Indian Railways: A Historical Analysis, Ramesh Subramanian

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

The Indian Railway system is one of the largest socio-technical systems in the world. It has existed for over 160 years, starting from the British Colonial times. It continues to play a critical role in present-day India. It’s continued functioning is dependent not only on the personnel who are employed in the railways, but also the technologies that go into the system. A critical technology in the functioning of the railway system is information and communications technologies (ICTs). ICTs are deployed in almost every facet of the railway system. But these ICTs did not manifest themselves recently. They have been …

Online Discussion Forum And Pre-Migration Information Seeking: An Affordance Perspective, Daniel Gulanowski, Luciara Nardon, Michael J. Hine

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Potential immigrants increasingly rely on online technologies to access needed information as they have limited access to offline sources of information at the pre-arrival stage. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of online discussion forums in facilitating potential immigrants’ access to relevant information about the host country labor market. This paper draws on extant literature on computer-mediated communication and a qualitative content analysis of 363 forum discussions to explore the phenomenon of increased use of online forums by prospective immigrants to Canada to access relevant labor market information. We draw on existing concepts of technology affordances …

Jitim Table Of Contents - Vol. 31 Issue 2 - 2022

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

JITIM ToC

Assessing Performance Impact Of Digital Transformation For Instructors In The Covid-19 Era, Shailja Tripathi Dr., Shubhangi Urkude Dr.

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Digital transformation has evolved as the main issue for higher education institutions (HEIs) across the globe due to the Covid-19 outbreak. The purpose of this study is to investigate the performance impacts of digital transformation for instructors of HEIs during the pandemic. The technology-to-performance chain (TPC) model pursues to predict the influence of an information system on the performance of an individual user. Hence, TPC model is used to evaluate the performance of instructors due to digital transformation in the institutions during the Covid-19 pandemic. The data is collected from instructors of higher educational institutions. Recently, partial least squares path …

An Innovative Elastohydrodynamic Seal Concept For Gases, Matthew J. Demond

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Supercritical CO₂ (sCO₂) power cycles are next generation power technologies offering improved efficiency, lower customer costs, and less water usage. They hold significant potential in many different industries such as nuclear power production, ship propulsion, geothermal power, solar power, and fossil fuel power plants. One of the largest hurdles preventing this milestone is the lack of suitable shaft seals for sCO₂ operating conditions. This component issue needs to be addressed for the next generation nuclear turbine and compressor development to progress. In this study, a novel Elastohydrodynamic (EHD) seal is proposed. This proposed design is capable …

Determining Cause Of Failure For Load Cells Supporting Vertical Pressure Vessels Subject To Wind Loading, Seth Nowak

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Wind loads cannot be avoided during a natural disaster such as a hurricane and could affect the strength and stability of vertical pressure vessels during exposure. Vertical pressure vessels cater to large wind loads; therefore, it is imperative to study the effect of additional loading on the structures. In this study, three pressure vessels with volumes of 50 CuFt, 200 CuFt, and 1100 CuFt, supported by three equidistant load cells under their legs are individually analyzed to determine von mises stress to estimate yield failure criteria. Two load rating criteria, maximum load capacity and water-filled condition (critical condition) are utilized …

Atmospheric Air Plasma Streamers Deliver Nanosecond Pulses For Focused Electroporation, Shu Xiao, Carol Zhou, Eric Appia, Shirshak Dhali

Bioelectrics Publications

Background: For electrotherapies that involve electrodes and high-intensity electric fields, such as in tissue ablation, we report a method of pulse delivery that can focus the electric field away from the electrodes, as demonstrated in vitro.

Materials and Methods: To electroporate cells in a monolayer seeded in a 35 mm culture dish, two atmospheric-pressure plasma channels generated by two thin, copper foil electrodes above the surface of the solution provided the current and established the electric field.

Results: Depending on the pulse duration, the plasma channels were observed as corona (100 ns), streamer (300 ns), and mixture of streamer …

Techno-Economic Feasibility Of Electrifying Food Markets In Nigeria With Biogas Hybrid Mini-Grids, Demi Temitope Ogunwo

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This thesis explored the feasibility of electrifying a food market in an urban city in Nigeria with a hybrid biogas-powered mini-grid. Under the Energizing Economies Initiative of the Rural Electrification Agency of Nigeria, nine markets in the country currently receive constant access to electricity via hybrid mini-grid systems. As a majority of these systems are diesel-solar-battery systems, this thesis explored the use of biogas generators as a substitute for diesel generators in hybrid mini-grids for food markets. A fruit and vegetable market in Ketu, Lagos was used as a case study for the research. The research for this thesis was …

Process Optimization For An Integrated Reverse Osmosis—Pressure Retarded Osmosis Pilot-Scale System Operated On Humboldt Bay, Ca, Galen O'Toole

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) is an emerging osmotic power technology that could mitigate the major challenges faced by seawater reverse osmosis desalination (RO): brine disposal and high energy consumption. The primary focus of this paper is process optimization for a linked seawater reverse osmosis (RO) and pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) water purification system. PRO generates power by using osmosis to “pump” water through a membrane from low pressure and low concentration to high pressure and high concentration (RO brine). This commercial-scale pilot effort explores process optimization for pressure retarded osmosis as an industrial process rather than theoretical or experimental process. …

In Vivo Metabolic Analysis Of The Anticancer Effects Of Plasma-Activated Saline In Three Tumor Animal Models, Miao Qi, Dehui Xu, Shuai Wang, Bing Li, Sansan Peng, Qiaosong Li, Hao Zhang, Runze Fan, Hai-Lan Chen, Michael G. Kong

Bioelectrics Publications

In recent years, the emerging technology of cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAP) has grown rapidly along with the many medical applications of cold plasma (e.g., cancer, skin disease, tissue repair, etc.). Plasma-activated liquids (e.g., culture media, water, or normal saline, previously exposed to plasma) are being studied as cancer treatments, and due to their advantages, many researchers prefer plasma-activated liquids as an alternative to CAP in the treatment of cancer. In this study, we showed that plasma-activated-saline (PAS) treatment significantly inhibited tumor growth, as compared with saline, in melanoma, and a low-pH environment had little effect on tumor growth in …

Alcohol Increases Lung Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 Expression And Exacerbates Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Spike Protein Subunit 1–Induced Acute Lung Injury In K18-Hace2 Transgenic Mice, Pavel A. Solopov, Ruben Manuel Luciano Colunga Biancatelli, John D. Catravas

Bioelectrics Publications

During the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, alcohol consumption increased markedly. Nearly one in four adults reported drinking more alcohol to cope with stress. Chronic alcohol abuse is now recognized as a factor complicating the course of acute respiratory distress syndrome. and increasing mortality. To investigate the mechanisms behind this interaction, we developed a combined acute respiratory distress syndrome and chronic alcohol abuse mouse model by intratracheally instilling the S1 subunit of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (S1SP) in K18-human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) transgenic mice that express the human ACE2 receptor for SARS-CoV-2 and are kept on an …

The Heat Shock Protein 90 Inhibitor, At13387, Protects The Alveolo-Capillary Barrier And Prevents Hci-Induced Chronic Lung Injury And Pulmonary Fibrosis, Ruben M.L. Colunga Biancatelli, Pavel Solopov, Christiana Dimitropoulou, Betsy Gregory, Tierney Day, John D. Catravas

Bioelectrics Publications

Hydrochloric acid (HCl) exposure causes asthma-like conditions, reactive airways dysfunction syndrome, and pulmonary fibrosis. Heat Shock Protein 90 (HSP90) is a molecular chaperone that regulates multiple cellular processes. HSP90 inhibitors are undergoing clinical trials for cancer and are also being studied in various pre-clinical settings for their anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects. Here we investigated the ability of the heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) inhibitor AT13387 to prevent chronic lung injury induced by exposure to HCl in vivo and its protective role in the endothelial barrier in vitro. We instilled C57Bl/6J mice with 0.1N HCl (2 µL/g body weight, intratracheally) and …

Flexible Battery-Less Wireless Glucose Monitoring System, Saikat Banerjee, Gymama Slaughter

Bioelectrics Publications

In this work, a low power microcontroller-based near field communication (NFC) interfaced with a flexible abiotic glucose hybrid fuel cell is designed to function as a battery-less glucose sensor. The abiotic glucose fuel cell is fabricated by depositing colloidal platinum (co–Pt) on the anodic region and silver oxide nanoparticles-multiwalled carbon nanotubes (Ag₂O-MWCNTs) composite on the cathodic region. The electrochemical behavior is characterized using cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. This glucose hybrid fuel cell generated an open circuit voltage of 0.46 V, short circuit current density of 0.444 mA/cm2, and maximum power density of 0.062 mW/cm² at 0.26 V …

The Paradox Of Pulmonary Vascular Resistance: Restoration Of Pulmonary Capillary Recruitment As A Sine Qua Non For True Therapeutic Success In Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, David Langleben, Stylianos E. Orfanos, Benjamin D. Fox, Nathan Messas, Michele Giovinazzo, John D. Catravas

Bioelectrics Publications

Exercise-induced increases in pulmonary blood flow normally increase pulmonary arterial pressure only minimally, largely due to a reserve of pulmonary capillaries that are available for recruitment to carry the flow. In pulmonary arterial hypertension, due to precapillary arteriolar obstruction, such recruitment is greatly reduced. In exercising pulmonary arterial hypertension patients, pulmonary arterial pressure remains high and may even increase further. Current pulmonary arterial hypertension therapies, acting principally as vasodilators, decrease calculated pulmonary vascular resistance by increasing pulmonary blood flow but have a minimal effect in lowering pulmonary arterial pressure and do not restore significant capillary recruitment. Novel pulmonary arterial hypertension …

In Vitro And In Vivo Correlation Of Skin And Cellular Responses To Nucleic Acid Delivery, M. Bosnjak, K. Znidar, A. Sales Conniff, T. Jesenko, B. Markelc, Nina Semenova, J. Tur, K. Kohena, S. Kranjc Brezar, L. Heller, M. Cemazar

Bioelectrics Publications

Skin, the largest organ in the body, provides a passive physical barrier against infection and contains elements of the innate and adaptive immune systems. Skin consists of various cells, including keratinocytes, fibroblasts, endothelial cells and immune cells. This diversity of cell types could be important to gene therapies because DNA transfection could elicit different responses in different cell types. Previously, we observed the upregulation and activation of cytosolic DNA sensing pathways in several non-tumor and tumor cell types as well in tumors after the electroporation (electrotransfer) of plasmid DNA (pDNA). Based on this research and the innate immunogenicity of …

Recent Advances In Biosensors For Detection Of Covid-19 And Other Viruses, Shobhit K. Patel, Jaymit Surve, Juveriya Parmar, Kawsar Ahmed, Francis M. Bui, Fahad Ahmed Al-Zahrani

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

This century has introduced very deadly, dangerous, and infectious diseases to humankind such as the influenza virus, Ebola virus, Zika virus, and the most infectious SARS-CoV-2 commonly known as COVID-19 and have caused epidemics and pandemics across the globe. For some of these diseases, proper medications, and vaccinations are missing and the early detection of these viruses will be critical to saving the patients. And even the vaccines are available for COVID-19, the new variants of COVID-19 such as Delta, and Omicron are spreading at large. The available virus detection techniques take a long time, are costly, and complex and …

The Toyota Production System (Tps) In A Non-Traditional Manufacturing Environment: The Role Of Standardization In The Fast-Food Industry, Kevin Mccracken

Theses and Dissertations--Manufacturing Systems Engineering

The Toyota Production System (TPS), also known as Lean Manufacturing (LM), was founded in the automotive industry and has contributed to Toyota’s decades of success. This has brought much attention to TPS and how this system may be implemented in other industries. Focusing on the TPS foundational element of standardization, this study examines the impact of target cycle time (TCT) on process fluctuation in a fast-food environment. In order to observe the effects of TCT, team members within 3 production lines were timed. Times were measured before and after the addition of a TCT to the Standardized Work (STW) in …

Stochastic Battery Soc Model Of Ev Community For V2g Operations Using Cta-2045 Standards, Huangjie Gong, Rosemary E. Alden, Dan Ionel

Power and Energy Institute of Kentucky Faculty Publications

An electric vehicle (EV) battery has large energy storage capacity in the context of residential total usage, and the potential to provide large energy reserves for Home energy Management (HEM) systems. In an electric distribution system, groups of EVs could provide vehicle-to-grid (V2G) service in response to control signals and enable virtual power plant (VPP) operation of the car batteries. The CTA-2045 standards were considered for integration of the EV controls into the HEM system for maximal interoperability with other appliances, such as residential battery, electric water heater, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. The power distribution system …

Airflow Impact Upon Remote Laser Welding Quality, Baixuan Yang

Mechanical Engineering Research Theses and Dissertations

Laser induced plasma-plume and condensed particles attenuate the laser beam energy, resulting in keyhole instability and lacking penetration. There are various airflow devices that are currently used in both industrial and laboratory laser welding settings to suppress the detrimental effect of plasma plume and hot spatters. A systematic experimental and numerical study is presented in this dissertation that investigates different external airflow effects on the remote laser welding process used in automotive manufacturing applications.

The vertical airflow impact on the remote laser welding was first studied experimentally. The airflow velocity profiles of a coaxial vertical flow device were measured using …

An Experimental Study Of Fuel Selection For A Gasoline Multi-Mode, Spark Ignited – Compression Ignition Engine, Zachary J. Stanchina

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

In this study of fuels of different reactivities and their performance in a low-temperature combustion (LTC) engine. The engine was a 2.2L CRDI engine code D4HB provided by industry partner Hyundai America Technical Center inc. (HATCI). The engine was instrumented with in-cylinder pressure sensors allowing for monitoring of the combustion process.

First, the engine was operated with standard US pump grade gasoline, Research Octane number (RON) 91 E10, to find initial operation conditions as well as control points of stable operation for daily checks on system conditions.

Tested were 8 different fuel blends, the four base blends were provided by …

Comprehensive Evaluation Of Novel Medium-Temperature And High-Temperature Resistant Re-Crosslinkable Preformed Particle Gels For Conformance Control, Zhanmiao Zhai

Masters Theses

"Gel treatment has been widely used to control excessive water production and improve oil recovery in mature oilfields. In comparison to traditional preformed particle gel (PPG), re-cross linkable preformed particle gel (RPPG) has a significant advantage in treating abnormal features such as open fractures, fracture-like channels, and void space conduits (VSC). This research provides a comprehensive evaluation of two novel RPPG products developed in our lab: medium-temperature resistant RPPG (MT-RPPG) for a Middle East reservoir and a high-temperature resistant RPPG (HT-RPPG) for North Sea reservoirs (130 ^oC).

We assessed the effect of the monomer types and concentration, pH, salinity, …

Molten Steel Interactions With Tundish Linings And Refractory Glazes, Tyler Michael Richards

Doctoral Dissertations

"In the final stages of casting, molten steel is in contact with two main types of refractories: the working lining of the tundish used to serve as an intermediate vessel between the ladle and copper mold, and the various glazed carbon-bearing refractories used to control the flow of steel from the ladle to the tundish and from the tundish to the mold. If steel interacts with these refractories in such a way as to result in the formation of inclusions, it may be too late to remove them, leading to degradation of the steel’s mechanical properties. Understanding these interactions and …

Modeling Iot Solutions: A Lack Of Iot Device Security, And User Education, Benjamin Newlin

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

The Internet of Things, more commonly known as IoT devices, is an ever growing topic, both in the marketplace and in cyber security. While new devices are released into the public every year, a lack of standardized security concepts is also growing ever so clear. By having a model or standard for IoT devices and manufacturers to follow, the customer-base of these devices will have an easier time identifying trustworthy devices as well as how to secure their own devices.

Numerical Assessment Of Post-Tensioned Slabs Due To Seismic Column Collapse, Mariam Ehab, Aya Elhozayen

Civil Engineering

In our recent catastrophes, Progressive collapse become an essential behavior that should be researched widely and to be considered by engineers through the design process. The main vertical loss can be caused by different reasons, either blast due to terrorist attack, failure of columns due to extreme earthquake application, or finally, losing a structural element due to high impact resulted from a vehicle or any other moving object. Losing main vertical element due to extreme earthquake excitation is an important and repeated occurrence, However, it didn’t take much attention in progressive collapse recent studies. Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC) and General …

The Breakup Of Rp-2 Liquid Fuel Droplets In A Detonation Field, Daniel Dyson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Experimentally obtained droplet breakup patterns are presented for RP-2 liquid fuel droplets in the environment behind a detonation wave. To the best of our knowledge, this data is the first of its kind to examine the fundamental interactions between detonation waves and an individual fuel droplet. The experiments presented here are expected to support the ongoing effort of creating accurate models of droplet breakup in a variety of environments, which in turn will lead to enhanced predictions of rotating detonation engine performance, improved safety considerations for facilities operating in hazardous conditions, and new knowledge in energetics, hypersonics, and explosion dynamics …