Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Methodology Development For The Implementation Ofmicrofluidic Mixers, Tahir Butt, Gautam Mahajan

Undergraduate Research Posters 2018

Microfluidic platforms have been widely regarded as defining technologies for the development of chemical and biological synthesis and analysis systems, due to benefits associated with reduced reactant consumption, increases by orders of magnitude of the surface-to-volume ratios, and greatly enhanced control over reactions variables such as temperature and pressure. However, one of the bottlenecks for their wide application is the difficulty in achieving mixing, given the typical laminar flows in these systems. In this work we implement experimentally, various strategies using geometrical features to control the fluid motion and induce stirring flows. The mixers are fabricated using soft-lithography in PDMS …

Implementation Of A Reverse Staggered-Herringbone Microfluidic Mixer For High-Throughput Polymeric Nanoparticles Synthesis, Alexa Roberts

Undergraduate Research Posters 2018

The goal of this research is to implement and optimize the operating conditions of a microfluidic mixer to synthesize polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) in a high-throughput fashion. Using a reverse staggered-herringbone microfluidic mixer that we recently designed, the effects of experimental conditions such as flowrate and reactant composition on NP characteristics were investigated and optimized. The device design allowed for physical contact between two streams of fluids – one containing poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid; PLGA) in acetonitrile and the other deionized water, to allow for efficient mixing and NP precipitation to occur. The resulting NPs were characterized using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and …

Boundary Effects On The Locomotion Of Active Janus Particles, Marola W. Issa, Nicky R. Baumgartner

Undergraduate Research Posters 2018

Self-propelled or “active” micrometer scale particles are capable of supplying local mechanical work, necessary for microscale cargo delivery and useful in other applications within bioimaging and sensing. Research in the last decade has focused on developing, measuring, and manipulating the locomotion mechanisms of active particles in simple environments. However, many applications will be in complex environments with nearby boundaries or variations in physiochemical cues. This poster reports the directed motion of platinum coated polystyrene particles at infinite dilution in the presence of H2O2, which acts as a fuel to drive motion. A transport mechanism called “diffusiophoresis” drives motion of the …

P1: Salt Concentration And Ph Affect The Size Of Elastin-Like Polypeptide Nanoparticles, Bryce Noe, Ilona Tsuper, Daniel Terano, Richard Schmitt

Undergraduate Research Posters 2017

The transport of therapeutic drugs to specific tissues in the body can be accomplished using nanoparticles that encapsulate the drugs. Elastin-like polypeptides (ELP) is a class of materials that can reversibly form such nanoparticles in response to environmental cues. FLPs transition from soluble compounds to a phase separated system under particular solution conditions and have been used to produce temperature responsive surfactants. When these ELP surfactants are above their transition temperature, they spontaneously form energetically stable spherical micelles. When the temperature drops below the transition temperature, the micelles break apart and the ELP goes into solution. The size of these …

Evaluation Of Cetane Values Of Glycerolipids Extracted From Algae Scenedesmus Dimorphus Grown In Various Salinity Concentrations Using Gas Chromatography And Mass Spectrometry (Gc-Ms), Paul Lin, Chandana Mannem

Undergraduate Research Posters 2017

Algae's ability to store lipids, renewability, and potentially safer for the environment has made it a promising alternative fuel source. An industry rating for a biofuel's potential is the cetane value, which is a measure of a fuel's quality related to various glycerolipid concentrations. Growing conditions will affect lipid profile in algae, thereby affecting the cetane value. This project will attempt to identify changes in the centane value of the algae Scenedesmus dimorphus grown in various salinity concentrations. Scenedesmus dimorphus is the algae chosen for this experiment because of its ability to rapidly grow under harsh conditions. In this experiment …

P2: Light Scattering Study Of The Size And Shape Of Mixed Elastin-Like Polypeptide Micelles, Ilona Tsuper, Daniel Terrano, Bryce Noe

Undergraduate Research Posters 2017

Elastin-Like Polypeptides (ELP) can be used to form thermoreversible vehicles for drug delivery systems. The ELP nanoparticles are composed of three-armed star polypeptides. Each of the three arms extending from the negatively charged foldon domain include 20 repeats of the (GVGVP) amino acid sequence. In addition, linear constructs composed of 40 repeats of the same (GVGVP) sequence are introduced into the system. The mixed ELP polymer system is soluble at room temperature and becomes insoluble at the transition temperature (~ 50°C) forming micelles with the foldons on the exterior and linear constructs at the core. Above the transition, the size …

P1: Using Modified Dean Flow Designs To Increase Mixing Performance, Joshua Clark

Undergraduate Research Posters 2017

We are using numerical solutions for the Navier-Stokes equations and the concentration - diffusion equation to model fluid flow and reactant distribution in serpentine type channels for micromixers/microreactors development. These mixers exploit centripetal forces on the fluid to induce cross-sectional fluid mixing, aka Dean flows. Various modifications are used to increase the mixing character of these crosssectional flows. We found that the performance of these mixers exceeds that of unmodified channels and we currently assess their performance relative to other state of the art methodologies used to induce mixing on the microscale.

Going Green: Experimental Adaptation Of Scenedesmus Dimorphus To Marine Conditions, Mohammed Khalil

Undergraduate Research Posters 2017

Algae has gained some interest as the need for alternative fuels becomes more pressing. Reliance on fossil fuels is causing our environment and economy harm, and is not sustainable moving forward. Lipid rich algae strains can be used in the production of biofuels, and provide an alternative fuel source. One challenge facing the prospect of algae as a fuel source is that lipid rich algae grows exclusively in freshwater. Considering the scarcity and cost to use freshwater for algae growth, interest has grown in the possibility of adapting lipid rich, freshwater algae to a seawater environment. Seawater can have up …

P2: Implementation Of Groove Based Designs For Engineering Fluid Flow In Micromixers, Tahir Butt

Undergraduate Research Posters 2017

Mixing on microscale is important for the development of miniaturized chemical reactors that use small quantities of reactants and allow better control over the reaction conditions and products. Nevertheless, achieving rapid mixing in this type of micro-reactors is challenging due to the lack of turbulence and slow diffusion on the microscale. In this work we implement micromixers designs based on surface groove/ridge patterns targeted at inducing cross-sectional flows that both extend the interface between the different reactants, as well as induce chaotic advection. We discuss the fabrication of these structures using soft-lithography in PDMS employing a mold and their optical …

Fabricating Non-Close Packed Colloidal Monolayers For Ion Irradiation Templates, Nandini Padaraju

Undergraduate Research Posters 2017

Due to their unique properties, anisotropic nanoparticles are desirable components for future applications yet there are few processes capable of fabricating nanoparticle impregnated coatings for the manufacturing environment. Our work seeks to develop new masking techniques for the production of the templated substrates that will induce ordered nanoparticle films. Specifically, we are fabricating non-close packed colloidal monolayers onto silicon substrates, which then serve as the template for ion irradiation. The first steps to creating this monolayer are obtaining a spin-coated poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) thin film of ~200 nm and a close-packed colloidal monolayer using a peltier heater. We achieved a …

Life Behind Glass: Bioreactor Studies On The Salt-Water Adaptation Of Scenedesmus Dimorphus, Joshua Hartranft, Alex Fedai, Sahar Ataya

Undergraduate Research Posters 2016

Algae has considerable promise as source for liquid biofuel because of high productivity and because algae farms do not compete with food crops for arable land. Freshwater algae is preferred over saltwater algae because of the higher lipid content in the former. Unfortunately, freshwater algae “farms” would require a vast amount of fresh water, and given the scarcity of fresh water, this is not a viable long-term solution. Therefore, the adaption of a fresh-water species of algae to a salt-water environment is a potential solution. In this study, it was shown that the growth rate of the freshwater algae S. …

Glycerolipid Analysis Of Adaptation To Saline Changes In The Culture Conditions Of Algae, Scenedesmus Dimorphus, By Gc-Ms, Tyler Fitzgerald, Satya Girish Chandra Avula, Chandana Mannem

Undergraduate Research Posters 2016

Since fossil fuels are decreasing over time an alternative energy source will be soon required. The algae, Scenedesmus dimorphus, grows in freshwater and is known for its fast growth of glycerolipid content which is used for biodiesel production. After the algae is grown in optimal conditions, the released fatty acids and glycerolipids are transformed into fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) which are used as biodiesel. The FAMEs were quantitatively determined by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to determine the total glycerolipid content in the different algae samples. The samples that were analyzed include freshwater controls and saline adapted samples. Analysis …

Design And Fabrication Of A Microfluidic Device Using A 3d Printer, Aaron Smith

Undergraduate Research Posters 2016

The goal of this work was to design and implement a microfluidic mixer-based chemical reactor using a 3-D printer. Microfluidic devices are very useful for processes that use expensive reactants or require a high level of control, and we hypothesize that the ability to develop a prototype using a 3-D printer would lower their costs and help overcome some of the limitations of soft-lithography based devices. One-level and two-level designs were made using SolidWorks® software, and various stages of the model were printed on Objet® and FDM® printers. The Objet printer offers the advantage of printing a prototype using a …

Scalable Assembly Of Nanoparticles Onto Templated Substrates, John Juchnowski

Undergraduate Research Posters 2016

Anisotropic nanoparticles, such as carbon nanotubes and noble metal nanorods, have excellent electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties. This work examined techniques for the nanopatterning of silicon substrates for the subsequent deposition of anisotropic nanoparticles in order to exploit their properties in macroscopic applications. Argon-ion-sputter induced rippling of Si (100) as well as a microparticle mask were examined as methods for templating a silicon substrate. For the ion-sputter

Light Scattering Characterization Of Elastin-Like Polypeptide Trimer Micelles, Ilona Tsuper, Daniel Terrano, Adam Maraschky

Undergraduate Research Posters 2016

Elastin-Like Polypeptides (ELP) can be used to form thermo-reversible vehicles for drug delivery systems. The ELP nanoparticles are composed of three-armed star polypeptides. Each of the three arms extending from the negatively charged foldon domain includes 20 repeats of the (GVGVP) amino acid sequence. The ELP polymer chains are soluble at room temperature and become insoluble at the transition temperature (close to 50 oC), forming micelles. The size and shape of the micelle is dependent on the temperature and the pH of solution, along with the concentration of the Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS) solvent. The technique of Depolarized Dynamic Light …

Light Scattering Study Of Mixed Micelles Made From Elastin-Like Polypeptide Linear Chains And Trimers, Ilona Tsuper, Daniel Terrano, Adam Maraschky

Undergraduate Research Posters 2016

Temperature sensitive nanoparticles (E20F) were generated from a construct of three chains of Elastin- Like Polypeptides (ELP) linked to a negatively charged foldon domain. This ELP system was mixed at different ratios with a single linear chain of ELP (H40L) which was deprived of the foldon domain. The mixed system is soluble at room temperature and at a transition temperature will form swollen micelles with the hydrophobic linear chains hidden inside. This system was studied using Depolarized Dynamic Light Scattering (DDLS) and Static Light Scattering (SLS) to model the size, shape, and internal structure of the mixed micelles. The mixed …

Identifying Patterns Of Stress Through Biological Markers, Kristyn Oravec

Undergraduate Research Posters 2016

technique, the angle of incidence of the ion beam was 67° from the surface normal,

Feasibility And Effects Of Accelerometer Based Feedback On Paretic Upper Extremity Amount Of Use In The Home Setting In Subjects Chronic Post-Stroke, Nathan Pohl, Amber Kuehn, Mishgan Abdullah

Undergraduate Research Posters 2015

Purpose : to (1) evaluate the feasibility of using accelerometers in the home to quantify how much subjects chronic post-stroke (PS) use their upper extremities (UE), (2) measure differences between amount of UE movement in subjects PS and a healthy control group (HC), (3) determine the effects of accelerometer based feedback on paretic UE use in subjects PS, and (4) determine if those effects are retained over time. Methods : Six subjects PS wore accelerometers for 3 weeks with two feedback sessions given during week two. Seven HC subjects wore accelerometers for one week. Accelerometer based outcome measures included relative …

Effects Of Accelerometer Based Feedback On Clinical Measures And Paretic Upper Extremity Amount Of Use In Subjects Chronic Post-Stroke, Amber Kuehn, Nathan Pohl, Mishgan Abdullah

Undergraduate Research Posters 2015

Purpose/Hypothesis: To determine the effects of accelerometer based feedback on clinical measures of paretic upper extremity (UE) recovery in people post-stroke and examine the relationship between these changes and paretic UE amount of use (AOU) measured by an accelerometer. Subjects: 7 people chronic post-stroke (5 males, 2 females; aged 62.03 ± 11.33 years) with an Upper Extremity Fugl-Meyer score range of 10-63 were included for this poster. Materials/Methods: Subjects wore wrist accelerometers for 3 weeks in the home. Clinical measures (Motor Activity Log, Stroke Impact Scale, Chedoke Arm and Hand Activity Inventory, and the ABILHAND) were assessed weekly. Data analysis …

Effect Of Accelerometer Based Feedback On Paretic Upper Extremity Amount Of Use And Quality Of Movement: A Case Study, Mishgan Abdullah, Nathan Pohl, Amber Kuehn

Undergraduate Research Posters 2015

Purpose/Hypothesis: To determine the effects of accelerometer based feedback on clinical measures of paretic upper extremity (UE) recovery in people post-stroke and examine the relationship between these changes and paretic UE amount of use (AOU) measured by an accelerometer. Subjects: 7 people chronic post-stroke (5 males, 2 females; aged 62.03 ± 11.33 years) with an Upper Extremity Fugl-Meyer score range of 10-63 were included for this poster. Materials/Methods: Subjects wore wrist accelerometers for 3 weeks in the home. Clinical measures (Motor Activity Log, Stroke Impact Scale, Chedoke Arm and Hand Activity Inventory, and the ABILHAND) were assessed weekly. Data analysis …

Sound And The Moving Image:Critical Characteristics For Spectator Response, Kara Rader, Rafeeq I. Roberts, Matt Egizii, Jeffery Allen

Undergraduate Research Posters 2013

The prevailing wisdom in the film and video production industries is that audio information outweighs visual information when it comes to spectator responses, but there are few empirical studies to support this claim. In previous research, four critical characteristics of sound have been identified: (1) Music, (2) visual/sound contradictions (defined as sound that is inconsistent with audience expectations based on visual information), (3) multi-channel sound, and (4) sound quality. Building on our previous research into music and film, we have found that many researchers have looked into the question of how music affects emotions (Eschrich et al., 2008; Have, 2008; …

Role Of Programmed Proteolysis During Meiosis, Vincent Matthews, G. Valentin Borner Ph.D.

Undergraduate Research Posters 2013

Meiosis is the process which forms gametes and spores for reproduction in eukaryotic cells. During the pachytene phase of meiosis I, a protein structure, called the Synaptonemal Complex (SC), forms between homologous chromosomes and creates a scaffold for genetic recombination. In yeast, the Zip1 protein is a major structural component of the SC. At restrictive temperature for meiosis, ZIP1 is required for completion of meiotic divisions. At permissive temperature ZIP1 is required for proper chromosome segregation. We observed that chemical inhibition of the proteasome, with MG132, results in arrest at prophase of meiosis I. Based on these results, we questioned …

The Gamut: A Journal Of Ideas And Information, No. 16, Fall 1985, Cleveland State University

The Gamut Archives

CONTENTS OF ISSUE NO. 16, FALL, 1985

Klaus-Peter Hinze: Hitler and the Beetle, 3

One of America's favorite automobiles, the Volkswagen "bug," began as a pet project of the Nazi regime.

Ron Haybron: Packaging the Seasons, 12

Calendars of different societies have ingeniously struggled with the incompatible cycles of sun, earth, and moon.

Nancy McAfee: Philip Johnson's Play House, 27

Cleveland's new theater complex is a major example of Post-Modern architecture.

Carsten Ahrens: Recollections of a Dragonfly Man, 39

A naturalist's lifelong pursuit of the fascinating famUy of the Odonates.

Wojbor Woyczynski: Of Men and …