Engineering Commons^™

Using Mechanical Interventions To Enhance Drug Transport To Bone Tumors, Michelle Gelbs

Dissertations and Theses

Bone metastasis occurs when cancer cells spread from a primary site to a secondary location in bone. Current treatments for metastatic bone tumors typically involve systemic chemotherapy, bisphosphonates, radiotherapy, or surgery; however, due to morphological changes in the tumor microenvironment and elevated interstitial fluid pressure, tissue penetration of therapeutic agents is often more limited in cancerous tumors compared to normal tissue. Weight-bearing mechanical loading applied to bone, as well as other mechanical stimulations such as vibration, have been shown to cause loading-induced bone deformations that increase convective transport via interstitial fluid flow. We hypothesize that mechanical loading can increase the …

Optimizing Transcranial Focused Ultrasound: Calibration, Neuro Navigation, And Bold Fmri Evidence Of Neuromodulation, Amilcar J. Malave

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis presents the development, calibration, and initial implementation of transcranial focused ultrasound (tFUS) for neuromodulation in a human study. The primary objectives were to design a system capable of delivering precise and safe ultrasound stimulation to targeted brain regions and to conduct preliminary trials to assess its effects on brain activity. A custom calibration device was developed to ensure accurate measurement of acoustic pressure, addressing challenges such as voltage alterations caused by changes in system impedance. Additionally, a neuro-navigation tool was created to facilitate precise targeting of the right subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (right sgACC), enabling accurate placement of …

Nanoparticle Stabilized Interfaces And Their Effect On Foam Stability, Nicole T. Donovan

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

On The Understanding Of The Coastal-Urban Nexus Of Weather, Air Quality And Energy, Harold Gamarro

Dissertations and Theses

Urban environments exhibit complex interactions between atmospheric processes, building energy consumption, and air quality, particularly during periods of seasonal extremes such as summer ozone peaks and winter heating. Accurate representation of these interactions in urban modeling is crucial for understanding and addressing air pollution and energy management challenges in cities. This research presents a comprehensive study that advances urban atmosphere simulations by integrating building energy dynamics, air quality, and robust multi-source observational evaluation. Leveraging the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, coupled with a multilayer building environment parameterization (BEP) and a building energy model (BEM), with an improved boundary layer …

Analysis Of Energy Savings And Feasibility Of Retrofitting New York City Midrise Multifamily Buildings With Air Source Heat Pump Technology, Samuel Chussid

Dissertations and Theses

Motivated by reducing impacts of climate change due to greenhouse gas emissions, many dense urban cites throughout the United States have set into law ambitions decarbonization policies that will require buildings to replace fossil fuel space and water heating systems with electric powered alternatives. In many cities, especially in the northeast, fossil fuel space and water heating systems are used in a vast majority of buildings and significantly contribute to citywide carbon emissions. In New York City (NYC), it is estimated that over 40 percent of citywide emissions come from space heating and water heating systems that run on fossil …

Implementation Of Acid/Gas Digestion Approach To Maximize Volatile Fatty Acids Production From Municipal Sludge And A Techno-Economic Feasibility Study, Aykut Sayin

Dissertations and Theses

Acid digestion, which is the first step of two-phase acid/gas anaerobic digestion process, was studied to identify the optimum operating conditions that would maximize the production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs). Batch and semi-continuous acid digesters were operated using combined primary sludge and waste-activated sludge as the feedstock from New York City (NYC)’s Wards Island water resource recovery facility (WRRF). Operating conditions tested in batch acid digesters for maximizing VFAs production included temperature (35-70°C), inoculum-to-substrate ratio (0.0-0.5 mgVS/mgVS), thickening (3-13%TS), and contact time (0-10 days), while simultaneously inhibition mechanisms on VFAs production were investigated. Once the optimum operating conditions for …

Modulation Of Motor Learning With High-Intensity Transcranial Electric Stimulation, Gavin Hsu

Dissertations and Theses

Research thus far on noninvasive, transcranial electric stimulation have produced mixed results from in vivo human experiments. This work tests the hypothesis that applying higher stimulation intensities would induce intracranial electric fields that more closely match the higher magnitudes used in animal and in vitro studies and subsequently yield more robust effects. As done commonly in the literature, we targeted the motor cortex (M1), specifically in the context of neuroplastic changes taking place during motor learning in healthy adult humans. This work also seeks a better understanding of the neural correlates underlying motor skill learning.

Through multiple large-sample studies, this …

The Racial Disparities Of The Gamma-Secretase/Notch Pathway And Inhibition In Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Jobin Joseph

Dissertations and Theses

Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) continues to be a formidable challenge in oncology, characterized by its aggressive phenotype and limited treatment options. Alarming racial disparities in TNBC outcomes persist, with underrepresented populations experiencing disproportionately higher rates of mortality and poorer prognoses. This master's thesis aims to delve into the molecular intricacies that contribute to these disparities, with a specific focus on gamma secretase activity, a key regulator of cellular processes.

The research methodology encompasses a multi-faceted approach, amalgamating clinical data analysis with extensive in vitro and in vivo experimentation. The study employs cutting-edge molecular profiling techniques and gene expression analysis …

Ring Resonators Intergrating With Dichoric Materials And In Spin-Valley Controlled Photonic Topological System, Yuma Kawaguchi

Dissertations and Theses

Photonic technology plays an important role in the development of diverse applications, ranging from optical telecommunications to sensing and imaging. The utilization of photonic circuits emerges as a promising platform for the establishment of advanced communication systems characterized by high speed and large capacity. This advancement is crucial to facilitate fast and efficient data transfer while concurrently managing multiple devices. It is imperative that essential components such as lasers, modulators, and isolators exhibit compactness without incurring significant losses.

Non-reciprocal devices represent a valuable addition to photonic circuits, enabling the creation of unidirectional waveguides that function as optical isolators, preventing signals …

Alkaline Potassium Polyacrylate Electrolytes For Rechargeable Zinc-Manganese Dioxide Batteries, Jungsang Cho

Dissertations and Theses

Zinc (Zn)–manganese dioxide (MnO₂) rechargeable batteries have high specific theoretical capacity as well as being environmentally friendly, intrinsically safe and low-cost. Liquid electrolytes, such as potassium hydroxide (KOH), are historically used in these batteries; however, many failure mechanisms of the Zn–MnO₂ battery chemistry result from the use of liquid electrolytes, including the formation of electrochemically inactive compounds and shape change of Zn electrodes during charge and discharge cycling. This led to incorporation of an alkaline polymer electrolyte as an alternative to the liquid KOH electrolyte in Zn-MnO₂ rechargeable batteries, with the aim of making them non-spillable …

Surface Activity At The Air-Water Interface And Self-Stratification Of Silica Nanoparticles Functionalized With Tri-Methoxy Poly(Ethylene Glycol) Silane, Hyeongoo Jung

Dissertations and Theses

Aggregated silica nanoparticles (SNPs) have been functionalized with tri-methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) silane (mPEG silane), end-capped with a methyl group. This functionalization imparts surface activity at the air-water interface due to the hydrophobic nature of the end-capped methyl group. To determine the surface coverage of silane on the particle surface, solution-state ¹H-NMR spectroscopy was utilized for characterization, and surface tension measurements were conducted to assess their tension-lowering ability. Solutions containing 10 wt% of the functionalized SNPs reduced the quasi-static surface tension to approximately 53 mN/m, regardless of the amount of reacted mPEG silane. However, the quantification of mPEG silane influenced …

Hydrodynamics Of Drops And Particles Driven By Marangoni And Diffusiophoretic Forces, Subramaniam Chembai Ganesh

Dissertations and Theses

This study investigates the hydrodynamics of particles and drops driven by forces generated by an asymmetrical physical and chemical surrounding environment. In the first part, a novel colloidal motor design driven by surface tension forces is proposed, utilizing an active Janus particle encapsulated in an immiscible liquid drop to form a compound drop/particle. Marangoni forces induced by asymmetric solute adsorption at the liquid-liquid interface of the drop propels the compound system. The propulsion speeds of the motor are analyzed for various relative sizes and configurations of the Janus particle and the encapsulating drop and the effects of varying the transport …

Hyperspectral And Polarimetric Imaging Of The Ocean For The Characterization Of The Surface Effects And Measurement Uncertainties, Mateusz Malinowski

Dissertations and Theses

Ocean and coastal waters are monitored by Ocean Color satellite sensors to determine concentrations of chlorophyll and water properties and identify areas of algal blooms and other events. The light radiance from the ocean is weak in comparison with the sky radiance, which requires very accurate atmospheric correction of the radiance measured at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) on the satellite and heavy validation of the derived water leaving radiance by field measurements from the ships and ocean platforms. For TOA and especially above water radiance the skylight reflected from the ocean surface represents one of the main sources …

Orbit Determination Demonstration Using Onboard One-Way Radiometrics From The Iris Radio On The Capstone Mission, Todd A. Ely, Anthony Zara, Dana Sorensen, Zaid J. Towfic, Connor Ott, Alec Forsman, John D. Baker

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

Onboard one-way radiometric tracking from an Iris Radio paired with a Chip Scale Atomic Clock (CSAC) on NASA’s CAPSTONE mission has been collected and demonstrated to be able to determine its near rectilinear halo orbit. This is a first-ever demonstration of one-way radiometric tracking originating from the DSN and being collected onboard a spacecraft. For CAPSTONE, the tracking data from the Iris/CSAC pair are shown to have sufficient accuracy to enable future autonomous radio navigation for missions with modest navigation requirements. This work will compare the space-based data with prior ground-based test results, as well as assess CAPSTONE’s orbit solution …

Target Size Estimation Through Sensor Fusion, Morgan Davidson, Cory Brinck, Kori Moore, Tanner Chase

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

Target size is an important quantity in both classification and multi-sensor target tracking applications, but it is often an unknown. In some imaging applications, target size is assumed based on classification results. This assumed size is sometimes used in the synthesis of range measurements from monocular imagery, based on the apparent target size that is observed. Range-from-apparent-size measurements may be the only range measurements available during times when sensors that produce range information (such as radar) are not available. This range-from-apparent-size approach is typically plagued by range bias in the resulting measurements due to several factors. In this work, we …

An Analysis Of Precision: Occlusion And Perspective Geometry’S Role In 6d Pose Estimation, Jeffrey Choate, Derek Worth, Scott Nykl, Clark N. Taylor, Brett J. Borghetti, Christine M. Schubert Kabban

Faculty Publications

Achieving precise 6 degrees of freedom (6D) pose estimation of rigid objects from color images is a critical challenge with wide-ranging applications in robotics and close-contact aircraft operations. This study investigates key techniques in the application of YOLOv5 object detection convolutional neural network (CNN) for 6D pose localization of aircraft using only color imagery. Traditional object detection labeling methods suffer from inaccuracies due to perspective geometry and being limited to visible key points. This research demonstrates that with precise labeling, a CNN can predict object features with near-pixel accuracy, effectively learning the distinct appearance of the object due to perspective …

Methodology For Designing And Improving Novel Kirigami Patterns Using The Hamiltonian Circuit Framework, Larry L. Howell, Nathan Coleman, Mckaelin Edralin, Specer P. Magleby, Denise Halverson, Zhong You

Faculty Publications

The ability to compactly fold arrays to be deployed in space has seen an increasing demand in the aerospace industry. In this work, we build on existing methods to create kirigami patterns which can stow compactly and deploy out to a predictable shape using Hamiltonian circuits. We detail how designers can use this method to create novel kirigami patterns for a desired deployed shape and area. We also discuss techniques for modifying and improving the behavior and performance of kirigami patterns created using this method, and then show example applications including as a deployable radio frequency antenna of this method …

Aerosol Jet Printing Of Surface Acoustic Wave Microfluidic Devices, Joseph Rich, Brian Cole, Teng Li, Brandon Lu, Hanyu Fu, Brittany N. Smith, Jianping Xia, Shujie Yang, Ruoyu Zhong, James L. Doherty, Kanji Kaneko, Hiroaki Suzuki, Zhenhua Tian, Aaron D. Franklin, Tony Jun Huang

Faculty Publications

The addition of surface acoustic wave (SAW) technologies to microfluidics has greatly advanced lab-on-a-chip applications due to their unique and powerful attributes, including high-precision manipulation, versatility, integrability, biocompatibility, contactless nature, and rapid actuation. However, the development of SAW microfluidic devices is limited by complex and time-consuming micro/nanofabrication techniques and access to cleanroom facilities for multistep photolithography and vacuum-based processing. To simplify the fabrication of SAW microfluidic devices with customizable dimensions and functions, we utilized the additive manufacturing technique of aerosol jet printing. We successfully fabricated customized SAW microfluidic devices of varying materials, including silver nanowires, graphene, and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate …

A Practical Framework For Component-Level Structural Health Monitoring Of The Gerald Desmond Bridge, Mehran Rahmani, Vesna Terzic, Andrea Calabrese, Brittany Cambell

Mineta Transportation Institute

Bridges serve as critical transportation infrastructure, but traditional maintenance inspection to ensure their safety is time-consuming, costly, and labor-intensive, especially for larger and more complex structures. This study presents a practical framework for the instrumentation, data acquisition, and remote condition assessment of the Gerald Desmond Bridge, California’s largest cable-stayed bridge. The framework aims to establish a foundation for real-time or near real-time remote health monitoring of the bridge’s critical elements. The study highlights the advantages of remote monitoring in terms of efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and early detection of damage.