2017 Denman Undergraduate Research
Forum Accepted Student Abstracts
Engineering
Category: Engineering
Title: DNA origami stability for implementation in physiological environments
Student Presenter: Nickolas Andrioff
Faculty Advisor: Castro, Carlos
Abstract: Scaffolded DNA origami allows for the construction of custom-designed DNA nanostructures
via molecular self-assembly. Recently, DNA origami nanostructures displayed promising potential over a
wide range of biological applications such as drug delivery, biophysical measurement, and biomarker
detection. However, translating these devices to clinical or other biological applications require
thorough evaluation of DNA nanostructure structural stability under harsh physiologic conditions,
including the presence of nucleases. Previous studies revealed that DNA origami stability in the presence
of physiologic buffers varies from tens of minutes to several hours depending on the structure design
and specific buffer conditions. However, the relationship between DNA nanostructure physiological
stability and optimal design parameters remains poorly understood. Therefore, the objective of the
current study is to evaluate how different structural characteristics of DNA nanostructures affects
stability under a range of physiological conditions, including varying levels of salinity and fetal bovine
serum (FBS). Stability and degradation experiments were performed on a large panel of similar DNA
nanostructures which varied in a single parameter such as surface area, crossover frequency, lattice
cross section, scaffold routing, or number of overhangs. Structural stability of nanostructures was
monitored across varying concentrations of magnesium chloride (0-20mM) and fetal bovine serum (0%-
100%) during a 24-hour room temperature incubation period. Quantitative data was obtained using
agarose gel electrophoresis coupled with a gel intensity analysis program to monitor the long-term
stability of each structure and a spectrophotometer to collect degradation kinetics data. Results were
compiled to create an algorithm to predict the structural stability of DNA nanostructures based on their
characteristics and designing stable structures suitable for various physiologically relevant environment.
An additional goal for this work is to make a publically accessible database that DNA origami
nanostructure designers can use to create an optimal structure for any experimental conditions more
efficiently and conveniently.
Category: Engineering
Title: Development of a 3D mechanomimetic model of the breast tumor microenvironment
Student Presenter: Namrata Arya
Faculty Advisor: Winter, Jessica
Abstract: Over their lifetime, about 12% of women in the United States are diagnosed with invasive
breast cancer. Whereas stage I breast cancer has a nearly 100% 5 year survival rate after diagnosis,
stages II, III, and IV have survival rates of 93%, 72%, and 22%, respectively. Breast cancer spreads by
metastasizing at new sites after travelling through vasculature or the lymphatic system. Additionally, a
growing tumor can squeeze adjacent healthy tissue. Breast cancer tumors experience compressive solid
stress as a result of uncontrolled growth in a confined space. The purpose of our experiments is to study
the effect of compressive solid stress on breast cancer migration and morphology, which may correlate
with tumor progression in the clinic. To simulate compressive solid stress, a model consisting of tumor
cells encapsulated in a hydrogel and compressed with discs was employed. The hydrogel sits on a
porous membrane that allows nutrient exchange, but not cell migration. Additionally, migration and
wound healing under pressure in a 2D microenvironment were also studied. Preliminary proof of
concept of this model was shown using brain tumor cells. Initially the hydrogel, which mimics the
mechanical properties of breast tissue, was composed of Matrigel and Agarose. However, because of
the large difference in gelling temperature between Matrigel and Agarose, this proved to be
impracticable. Low Temperature Gelling Agarose was used instead, but because of its low elastic
modulus, it was unsuited for this purpose. In the future, hydrogels will consist of Matrigel supplemented
with PEG. In each trial, the cells in the hydrogel will be exposed to varying compressive solid stress. We
hypothesize that since higher pressures lead to a higher pressure gradient, cells experiencing higher
compressive stress will migrate further. These results can potentially provide information on new
signaling pathways and drug targets for prevention of breast cancer metastasis.
Category: Engineering
Title: The binary decision diagram: abstraction and implementation
Student Presenter: Saad Asim
Faculty Advisor: Sivilotti, Paul
Abstract: A Boolean Formula is an expression on Boolean variables that evaluates to either true or false.
This seemingly simply concept has many important applications in Computer Science such as in the
validation of system models. However, as these models are extended, the number of variables needed
in the expression grows exponentially, creating problems for efficient representation. Traditional data
structures used to represent Boolean Formulas containing a large number of variables become
especially inefficient even for basic operations such as checking if it an expression can ever evaluate to
true. Binary Decision Diagrams (BDDs), a relatively new data structure used to represent Boolean
Formulas, enjoy several advantages over these traditional data structures. First, BDDs can stay compact,
even for Boolean Formulas involving large numbers of variables. Furthermore, they are canonical
representations for Boolean Formulas, meaning equivalence checking can be done effectively. Finally,
they can be efficiently modified to represent more complex formulas. The goal of this study is to
develop a provably correct software realization of the BDD. This implementation will be verified with
respect to precise specifications using proofs, not just checked using test cases as is typical with
software implementations. Achieving this goal requires solving problems in three phases: designing an
interface for the component, developing an implementation, and verifying the implementation through
proofs. Currently, a fully abstract mathematical model with formal specifications of functionality has
been constructed along with a simple reference implementation of this model. The reference
implementation will serve as a base to compare basic functionality and efficiency against the BDD
implementation, which is in progress. The full implementation of a provably correct BDD component will
provide an efficient method of representing system models that users will be completely confident in
using.
Category: Engineering
Title: Effects of geometry on an inverted wing in ground effect utilizing classical optimization techniques
Student Presenter: Matthew Aultman
Faculty Advisor: Whitfield, Clifford
Abstract: In competitive automotive racing, aerodynamics and in particular wings, has been utilized
since the 1960's to reduce lap time. Studies show that the near ground proximity experienced by the
front wing of a race car changes the aerodynamics and enhances the performance of the wing. Despite
these studies, little is known publicly of the design of wings for the ground proximities experienced in
automotive racing. For this study, the modified NACA 4 Series airfoil family was selected to study the
impact that airfoil geometry has on the aerodynamic characteristics of an inverted wing in ground
effect. Due to the large number of airfoil geometries required to test, ANSYS Fluent was utilized to
determine these effects computationally. Trend lines were developed for geometric changes of an
inverted NACA 6612-63 at five degrees angle of attack and a height of fifteen percent chord from the
lowest point of the airfoil. These trends were then utilized in defining a design space to allow for the
usage of graphical optimization techniques to determine the optimum geometric configuration for a
race car wing. Since maximum camber resulted in the highest changes in downforce while the maximum
thickness was most effective at reducing performance penalties, these two were used as the
optimization variables. Constraints were placed upon drag and lift to drag ratio to ensure that optimizing
downforce did not result in any performance penalties. This optimization resulted in a fifteen percent
increase in the downforce produced by the airfoil. This coupling of geometric parameters yielded better
overall performance than any single geometric parameter.
Category: Engineering
Title: Myoferlin depletion in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells reduces autocrine TGF-B1 production
Student Presenter: Victoria Barnhouse
Faculty Advisor: Leight, Jennifer
Abstract: Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer mortality in women, and metastatic
disease is responsible for the majority of deaths. Metastatic cancer cells often undergo an epithelial-
mesenchymal transition (EMT), enabling the cells to break free from the primary tumor and invade
surrounding tissues. Recently, myoferlin (MYOF), a protein involved in cell membrane functions, was
found to be overexpressed in the breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231, and knocking out MYOF in these
cells reduces invasion and reverts the cells to a more epithelial phenotype. However, it is unknown why
knocking out MYOF leads to the reversal of EMT, and whether this change is permanent. Transforming
growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) misregulation has been shown previously to contribute to the
progression of cancer via EMT. When the MYOF knockdown (KD) cells are treated with TGF-β1,
their morphology converts to a more mesenchymal appearance. Therefore, we hypothesize that the
knockdown of MYOF causes a decrease in autocrine TGF-β1 production, reversing EMT. Using an
enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), TGF-β1 levels were shown to have a 30% decrease in
MYOFKD cells compared to control cells. Western blot was used to confirm the phenotypical change in
TGF-β1 treated MYOFKD cells by comparing levels of specific markers present in epithelial and
mesenchymal cells. Western blot of vimentin, a common mesenchymal marker, increased to a level
similar to the MDA-MB-231 control cells after TGF-β1 treatment; E-cadherin, which is
characteristic of epithelial cells, showed a significant decrease in expression. These findings confirm the
EMT of MYOFKD cells after treatment. Studies on the effect of TGF-β1 treatment on migration and
invasion are ongoing. These results indicate the importance of TGF-β1 in EMT of breast cancer
cells, and gaining a better understanding of factors related to EMT can aid in the development of better
and more specific treatment methods.
Category: Engineering
Title: The removal of submicron particulates from substrates: physics-based modeling and
experimentation
Student Presenter: Patrick Beal
Faculty Advisor: Castro, Carlos
Abstract: One of the major issues plaguing the semiconductor industry is the adhesion of submicron-
sized dust particles (called particulates) to the silicon wafer (substrate) during the wafer manufacturing
process. Such substrate contamination results in unreliable performance of the wafers when used as the
foundation for electronic devices, causing electronic circuit defects. Over the past three decades, many
scientists and researchers have utilized brush-cleaning techniques, laser-assisted cleaning, and Atomic
Force Microscopes to manipulate particulates. However, the prohibitive cost and diminishing margin of
efficiency in mass-scaling these techniques pose a major problem in the cleaning of silicon wafers. This
project aims to investigate and develop an affordable model, verified through robust experimentation,
to mechanically remove particulates from a contaminated substrate. Initial experimentation involved
the central premise: vibratory excitation of a substrate may lead to relative motion between the
adhering particulate and substrate, thereby breaking the adhesion bonds between the two, leading to
particulate removal. To test this claim, a 40 mm diameter sphere, representing a particulate on the
macroscale, was observed while interacting with an oscillating piston. Currently, the sphere's observed
chaotic response is being replicated using physics-based MATLAB simulations. These simulations, once in
correlation with the experimentation, will be utilized to provide insight into the behavior of a particulate
adhering to an oscillating substrate on the micro/nano-scale. By applying this mechanical removal
methodology, companies within the semiconductor industry will be able to drastically improve the
reliability of their silicon wafers and the integrated circuits built atop them.
Category: Engineering
Title: A dual-targeting, mitochondrial-immobilizing nanoparticle drug delivery system to overcome drug
resistance in cancer stem-like cells
Student Presenter: Matthew Becker
Faculty Advisor: He, Xiaoming
Abstract: Cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) are rare subpopulations of cells that are drug resistant and have
been shown to be responsible for the recurrence of cancer. CSCs are typically not responsive to
traditional cancer treatments, so an alternative method, able to overcome the drug resistance of these
subpopulations, is desirable. Nanoparticles are one potential solution to this problem and are currently
under intense research. The aim of this study is to determine an ideal method for synthesizing and
loading nanoparticles with a photosensitizer to facilitate photodynamic therapy in cancerous cells. A
novel nanoprecipitation method was designed to create smaller and more homogeneous particles
compared to the traditional nanoprecipitation method. Since this process is based off of the self-
assembly of polymers, Pluronic F-127 (PF127) and poly(D,L lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) were selected
as suitable candidates. Different ratios were experimented with to determine the best conditions for
this particular application. It was found that a polymer:drug ratio of 10:1 and a water:oil ratio of 10:1
were best when used with a 1:1 ratio of PF127 and PLGA. Nanoparticles synthesized with PF127 and
PLGA, encapsulating a porphyrin derivative capable of mitochondrial immobilization, and further
functionalized with triphenylphosphonium and hyaluronic acid (PF-PLGA-TPP-HA) exhibited highly
uniform size distribution, with diameters of 160 ± 3nm and zeta potentials of -35 ±
3mV. Mitochondrial targeting capabilities of the particles will be tested with human breast cancer MDA-
MB-231 cells via confocal images and fluorescence overlap of porphyrin with MitoTracker Green dye.
Further studies will be conducted using mitochondrial membrane potential and cell viability assays with
both 2D and 3D (stem cell enriched) cultured 231 cells to examine the effects of nanoparticles on CSC
viability. Positive results from these studies will indicate the efficacy of PF-PLGA-TPP-HA nanoparticles in
bypassing the drug resistance and proliferative capabilities of CSCs.
Category: Engineering
Title: Design and characterization of periodic hyperdamping metamaterials for broadband vibration and
noise control applications
Student Presenter: Justin Bishop
Faculty Advisor: Harne, Ryan
Abstract: Unwanted air-borne noise and structure-borne vibrations come from many sources, and
attenuating or suppressing these vibroacoustic energies is critical to human performance,
communication, and comfort, and to the lifetime and effectiveness of structures and machinery.
Traditional vibroacoustic attenuators include acoustic foams which are ineffective at low frequencies,
and damping panels which add significant mass to their system. This indicates that a conventional trade-
off exists between capabilities of broadband energy damping systems and the weight of these systems.
A lightweight material system with broadband damping is still needed. Hyperdamping is a passive
method of realizing extreme damping at the elastic stability limit of structures constrained to a critical
point. In this research, a material system is realized using cellular silicone inclusions that are critically
constrained within aluminum shells. These inclusions are arranged periodically within acoustic foam to
result in enhanced noise and vibration reduction capabilities not achieved by the foam itself. Through
computational and experimental efforts, the interactions between two inclusions are first studied by
varying the spacing between these two inclusions. Next, arrangements of the inclusions respecting the
direction of incoming energy are tested for their damping capabilities. Inclusions nearer to their critical
constraint are shown to be more effective than inclusions farther away from their critical constraint.
Based on the outcomes, the periodic hyperdamping inclusions greatly improve vibroacoustic damping
without significantly increasing system mass, when compared to solid inclusions. These inclusions can be
utilized in a wide range of applications, including automotive and aerospace contexts where lightweight
solutions are key to efficiency, safety, and performance.
Category: Engineering
Title: Controlled burst release of PZP animal contraceptive vaccine
Student Presenter: Brandon Borja
Faculty Advisor: Lannutti, John
Abstract: The Bureau of Land Management has been authorized to control the wild horse population of
public lands in order to sustain the ecosystems in which they reside. The purpose of this study is to
investigate the feasibility of animal contraception through the controlled drug release of porcine zona
pellucida (PZP) vaccine loaded in three different compositions of polycaprolactone (PCL) - gelatin
composite capsules. The PZP vaccine acts by stimulating anti-PZP antibodies which bind to the surface of
an ovulated egg thus preventing sperm attachment. Drug release thus follows burst release kinetics to
ensure constant immune stimulation and avoid desensitization of the immune system associated with
only gradual drug release kinetics. The capsules have been designed to release the PZP vaccine one
month, three months, and one year after intramuscular implantation. At these time points the
degradation of gelatin and presence of controlled amounts of porosity reduces the mechanical
properties of the drug loaded capsules allowing muscular contractions to rupture them and release the
vaccine. Capsules were initially electrospun by depositing polymer nanofibers on a spinning mandrel.
Upon achieving sufficient deposition, the nanofibers were sintered to remove porosity and achieve a
wall thickness of 100μm. Degradation has been studied through the analysis of the microstructure
of samples exposed to phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) - simulating body fluid - and tracking the change
in weight of samples loaded with silicon oil - the vaccine carrier. SEM images show the elimination of
surface features over time suggesting erosive degradation of gelatin. PCL-gelatin capsules in water have
shown gradual increases in weight indicative of gelatin degradation that creates pores and allows water
to enter the capsules. Further degradation analysis will be carried out as well as tensile and compression
tests to characterize the mechanical properties of polymer blends with respect to wall thickness and
exposure to PBS over time.
Category: Engineering
Title: Comparison of single marker vs. marker clusters in kinematics calculated from 3D motion capture
data
Student Presenter: Torie Broer
Faculty Advisor: Di Stasi, Stephanie
Abstract: To evaluate human motion, researchers use three-dimensional motion capture (3D motion
capture), which requires tracking of markers configured along the segments of a subject. Several
common configurations, known as marker sets, have been established, but the literature lacks
comparison of the kinematics calculated by the various standards. The purpose of this study is to
compare measurements for hip and knee kinematics calculated from different marker sets (marker
clusters and single marker arrays) placed along the thigh and shank. We hypothesized that hip and knee
kinematics calculated by the two models would not be significantly different. 3D motion capture was
utilized to record three gait trials at a self-selected speed for twenty-one (n=21) participants status-post
hip arthroscopy. Marker clusters, consisting of four reflective markers mounted on a plastic rigid body,
and an array of four individual markers were placed on the thigh and shank of each participant to track
the segments through space. A subject-specific model was built for each respective marker set. Hip and
knee kinematics were calculated for both models. Average absolute difference between the two models
was calculated to analyze the differences between data sets. Results: there were no significant
differences in sagittal and frontal planes for hip (Sagittal: 1.8285°±1.5032, Frontal:
1.1888°±1.0070) and knee (Sagittal: 1.6542°±1.2358, Frontal:
1.6218°±1.3010) kinematics between the two marker sets. Additional research is needed
to determine the effect of marker set on kinetics and inter-session reliability. Data from these studies
can be used by clinicians and scientists to evaluate data collected across multiple marker sets, a critical
step to compare biomechanics across injured and healthy individuals.
Category: Engineering
Title: Wing structure design for flexible delta-type wings at low speeds
Student Presenter: Kegan Buchhop
Faculty Advisor: Whitfield, Clifford
Abstract: Aerial reconnaissance plays a key role in gathering intelligence for the military. Unmanned
aerial vehicles (UAVs) have proven that they can fulfill this role in a cost-effective manner. Furthermore,
high-altitude UAVs fill this need well because they do not interfere with commercial air traffic. However,
the effectiveness of these UAVs is subject to their range, endurance, and ease of deployment. High-
altitude UAVs have an enhanced challenge of weight savings because there is less lift available at higher
altitudes as air is less dense. Efforts to save weight for this class of UAV have proven catastrophic
because they are designed for high-altitude flight and are susceptible to damage in turbulent areas of
the lower atmosphere. To avoid this, it has been proposed to develop a tube-launched UAV deployed at
the intended mission altitude. The wings of this UAV must be lightweight and easily folded and stowed
in a tube. The wing must also be aerodynamically efficient to be a viable option for long-range aerial
surveillance missions. Highly flexible polyimide wings fit these criteria; however, they have been
experimentally shown to suffer losses in aerodynamic efficiency as a result of their flexibility. It has been
shown in previous experiments that adding structure to the wing can increase aerodynamic efficiency.
This research aims to determine ideal structure configuration to maximize the aerodynamic efficiency of
such wings. This research will use wind tunnel testing to validate pressure distribution results obtained
by Computational Fluid Dynamics. These pressures will then be translated to structural Finite Element
models of wing concepts to determine an ideal configuration that maximizes aerodynamic efficiency
while retaining low structural weight. Results are currently on-going, with the end goal being a drastic
reduction in the cost associated with operating the high-altitude UAV.
Category: Engineering
Title: Novel bioseparation technique utilized for on location manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals in
remote healthcare settings
Student Presenter: Athanasios Burlotos
Faculty Advisor: Wood, David
Abstract: A large percentage of U.S. Military deployments involve humanitarian missions and disaster
relief. The logistical complexities of these missions, coupled with the inherit unpredictability of disaster
situations, makes providing physicians with biopharmaceuticals-which require cold chain management-
often prohibitively costly and difficult. As a result, patients afflicted with treatable conditions suffer
needlessly from a lack of supply. In response, the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA)
created the Biologically-Derived Medicines on Demand (Bio-MOD) initiative to develop a device to
manufacture a pharmacy-sized library of biologics at the point of care. This presents numerous technical
challenges, including limiting size for portability, meeting temporal constraints, and achieving
pharmaceutical grade purity across a vast library of drugs. To meet these constraints, our research in the
Wood laboratory focuses on a novel bioseparations technique utilizing split-intein mediated affinity
chromatography. Natively, inteins (a protein element) splice together two protein domains into an
active protein. To manipulate inteins for bioseparations, our lab reviewed existing literature on the
highly conserved regions among inteins, and designed targeted point mutations in key catalytic residues
of the intein to induce pH sensitivity. We then fixed one half of the mutated inteins to a chromatography
column, and used molecular cloning techniques to join the other halves with the protein library for
expression. The data to be presented applies time course kinetics experiments and SDS-page gel analysis
to characterize intein behavior. Results demonstrated success in inducing pH sensitive cleavage;
however, not all targets demonstrated fast enough cleavage for a high recovery within the 24-hour time
requirement. While unable to create a fast-cleaving intein universal to all drug targets, the mutations
proved to be portable, generating non-native pH sensitivity. Current efforts are focused on improving
the kinetics to allow a universal purification platform for biologics.
Category: Engineering
Title: Irregular airport geometries and correlation to incidences
Student Presenter: Austin Capell
Faculty Advisor: Young, Seth
Abstract: Travel by commercial air carrier is still an extremely safe form of transportation. This is in part
due to multiple levels of safeguards and redundancies built into the system that reduce the influence of
hazards and the very rare accidents that still occur. In order to minimize these threats, industry-wide
research initiatives for both ground and air operations are frequently analyzed in an effort to reduce
risks and increase passenger safety. One suggested hazard to both ground and flight operations at our
nation's airports is airport taxiway and runway geometry. That is, both runway and taxiway position in
relation to each other. It has been postulated that certain irregular geometries of runways and taxiways
can affect surface wayfinding tasks which can challenge positional awareness. This in turn can result in
runway incursions and/or inadvertent takeoffs on incorrect runways or taxiways which carries a high risk
of a collision with other aircraft or ground vehicles. Thus, it is paramount to research whether certain
configurations lead to more runway incidents/accidents than others thereby giving airfield designers a
better understanding of how to balance design efficiencies and other considerations with potentially
problematic configurations. We examined this notion further by reviewing a FAA database of incidences
for ground incidences which was then cross reviewed with an Airport Layout Plan (ALP) for a given
airport. Incidences that have occurred at airports with similar or same runway/taxiway geometry was
examined further for notable configurations. This more in depth examination of the data may yield
patterns to these surface layouts that should be avoided in future airport designs or necessitate a
constructions alteration to existing airfield geometries.
Category: Engineering
Title: Controlled burst release of PZP animal contraceptive vaccine
Student Presenter: Sarah Carney
Faculty Advisor: Lannutti, John
Abstract: The Bureau of Land Management has been authorized to control the wild horse population of
public lands in order to sustain the ecosystems in which they reside. The purpose of this study is to
investigate the feasibility of animal contraception through the controlled drug release of porcine zona
pellucida (PZP) vaccine loaded in three different compositions of polycaprolactone (PCL) - gelatin
composite capsules. The PZP vaccine acts by stimulating anti-PZP antibodies which bind to the surface of
an ovulated egg thus preventing sperm attachment. Drug release thus follows burst release kinetics to
ensure constant immune stimulation and avoid desensitization of the immune system associated with
only gradual drug release kinetics. The capsules have been designed to release the PZP vaccine one
month, three months, and one year after intramuscular implantation. At these time points the
degradation of gelatin and presence of controlled amounts of porosity reduces the mechanical
properties of the drug loaded capsules allowing muscular contractions to rupture them and release the
vaccine. Capsules were initially electrospun by depositing polymer nanofibers on a spinning mandrel.
Upon achieving sufficient deposition, the nanofibers were sintered to remove porosity and achieve a
wall thickness of 100μm. Degradation has been studied through the analysis of the microstructure
of samples exposed to phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) - simulating body fluid - and tracking the change
in weight of samples loaded with silicon oil - the vaccine carrier. SEM images show the elimination of
surface features over time suggesting erosive degradation of gelatin. PCL-gelatin capsules in water have
shown gradual increases in weight indicative of gelatin degradation that creates pores and allows water
to enter the capsules. Further degradation analysis will be carried out as well as tensile and compression
tests to characterize the mechanical properties of polymer blends with respect to wall thickness and
exposure to PBS over time.
Category: Engineering
Title: Calcium response in endothelial cells exposed to different flows
Student Presenter: Alexander Cetnar
Faculty Advisor: Alevriadou, B. Rita
Abstract: Intracellular calcium concentrations ([Ca2+]i) oscillate and are interpreted by intracellular
downstream effectors that activate transcription factors, initiate gene ex­pres­sion, and
regulate cell function. Vascular endothelial cells (ECs) respond to chemical stim­ulation, due to
extracellular agonists, with [Ca2+]i oscillations. Our group showed that cultured EC exposure to steady
laminar shear stress results in [Ca2+]i oscillations. Due to both inositol trisphosphate (IP3)-mediated
Ca2+ release from the en­doplasmic re­tic­ulum (ER) and Ca2+ exchange between ER and
mitochondria, oscillations were initiated. This study aims to ex­pand our experimental work to
delineate mechanisms governing the shear-induced [Ca2+]i response in ECs exposed to more
physiological flows, pulsatile and oscillatory. Monolayers of a human umbilical vein EC line (EA.hy926)
loaded with Ca2+ fluor­ophore Fluo-4 AM were exposed to shear stress: steady laminar, pulsatile,
or oscillatory for 5 minutes following static incubation. In the micro­scope field of view, percentage
of respond­ing cells, time to 1st peak, peak magnitude, peak duration at half-maximum, and
oscil­lation frequency of each cell were quantified using ImageJ, Cell Profiler and an in-house
MATLAB code. [Ca2+]i showed differential responses fol­lowing EC exposure to temporal gradients
in shear stress (pul­satile, oscillatory) compared to steady laminar flow. Oscillatory flow, in
par­ticular, pro­duced [Ca2+]i oscillations of higher frequen­cy com­pared to steady
laminar flow, whereas the peak amplitude depended on the amplitude of the flow pulse. Monitoring
[Ca2+]i signaling for each cell in a mono­layer provided insights into the signals that determine EC
function. Since oscillatory flow is characterized by lack of nitric oxide release and by increased EC
activation, and is known to contribute to initiation of atherosclerosis, it is important to understand
[Ca2+]i signaling in ECs exposed to os­cillatory flow. Future work will further quantify and examine
functional consequences of altered [Ca2+]i​ signaling during different flows.
Category: Engineering
Title: Optimizing parameters for self-cleaning water filtration membranes
Student Presenter: Monica Chan
Faculty Advisor: Weavers, Linda
Abstract: Water filtration membranes selectively remove contaminants by physical and chemical
mechanisms. These membranes foul when particle accumulation develops a layer on the membrane
surface or in pores that results in decreased flux. Since fouling necessitates costly and time intensive
cleaning processes, finding methods to clean membranes is critical. Sonication is a common technique
for membrane cleaning that uses external ultrasound to generate cavitation bubbles that clean
membrane surfaces. Previous work has shown that membranes made of piezoelectric materials inhibit
fouling by generating ultrasound when alternating voltage is applied. During voltage application,
membranes vibrate and release ultrasonic pressure waves, inhibiting formation of a fouling layer. In this
work, porous lead zirconate titanate (PZT) membranes were synthesized and operating parameters
were optimized for fouling inhibition. A dead-end filtration system was used with a dispersion of latex
particles as a model foulant. Trans-membrane pressure and frequency were varied to determine a
membrane's self-cleaning capability. COMSOL modeling was used to determine how membrane
vibrational modes vary with frequency. In all cases, membranes produced a high rejection of latex
particles (>99%). Under several trans-membrane pressures, the flux under fouling conditions stayed
above 95% of the original flux over seven hours. The self-cleaning efficacy was found to improve at 70.0
kHz compared to 90.1 kHz, indicating a dependence on the membrane's vibrational modes in relation to
how the membrane was sealed in the experimental setup. The development of these self-cleaning
membranes will improve efficient use in water treatment by eliminating the need for external sonication
and reducing filtration disruption time.
Category: Engineering
Title: Probing therapeutic resistance with a 3-D microfluidic model of the tumor stroma
Student Presenter: Jonathan Chang
Faculty Advisor: Song, Jonathan
Abstract: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), a dominant cell type of the tumor microenvironment,
have been shown to mediate cancer aggression. Additionally, loss of the tumor suppressor gene
phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) in CAFs promotes cancer progression and therapeutic
resistance. Preliminary experimentation found that PTEN deleted CAFs are able to decrease the
hydraulic permeability of their surrounding microenvironment in comparison to wild type CAFs. Our
experiments also showed that this decrease occurs without alteration of the matrix fiber structure, thus
suggesting a potential biochemical effect to PTEN deletion. We hypothesized that the decrease in
hydraulic permeability was due to increased secretion of hyaluronan by the CAFs and increased activity
of AKT, a protein kinase upregulated in the absence of PTEN. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to
utilize a 3D microfluidic model of the tumor stroma to investigate the underlying cause behind this
decreased hydraulic permeability and to search for potential therapeutic treatments to combat the
effect of PTEN deletion. Pancreatic PTEN deleted and wild type CAFs were both suspended in collagen
gels and injected into microfluidic devices. The CAFs were maintained in our in vitro system using media
supplemented with drugs of interest. The two drugs used in this experiment were hyaluronidase and an
AKT-inhibitor. To measure hydraulic permeability, a fluorescent tracer dye was flowed through the
system using an applied pressure difference. Then, the flow speed was extracted from time-lapse videos
of the dye and used in Darcy's equation to calculate hydraulic permeability. As a result of these drug
treatments, we were able to increase and restore the matrix hydraulic permeability of the PTEN deleted
CAFs to levels comparable to the wild type CAFs. These findings help identify decreased hydraulic
permeability as an important biomarker for therapeutic resistance and suggest a direction for the
development of future treatments.
Category: Engineering
Title: Temperature Dependent Low Frequency Noise of Few Layer MoS2 Grown by Chemical Vapor
Deposition
Student Presenter: Junao Cheng
Faculty Advisor: Lu, Wu
Abstract: The low frequency noise refers to the noise of the device generated below 100 kHz. The
characteristics of such noise performance is especially important for devices based on low dimensional
semiconductors such as MoS2 because of their high surface to volume ratio. Here in our study, two-
terminal few layered MoS2 device with ohmic source and drain contact was fabricated to study the
channel material noise performance in relevance to the device transport mechanism. We investigated
the temperature dependent (55K to 300K) noise performance from 10Hz to 2000Hz of the device with
standard noise measurement process including use of SR570 as a preamplifier, Agilent E4440A as noise
spectrum analyzer. The results showed 1/f noise dependence with 0.5V to 5V biasing conditions. From
65K to 180K, the device transport was dominated by electron hopping as normalized power spectrum
density (Sv/I2) is proportional to T-3/2. The overall trend of regional fit corresponds to the dipolar model
of Kozub due to the fluctuation of hopping site energy. The fluctuations are related to changes of local
potentials due to electron hopping within some pairs of sites defined as hopping fluctuator. From 180K
to 300K, the transport mechanism changed into thermally activated band transport with mobility
fluctuation mechanism dominated noise mechanism. This is proved by the slope of log-log plot fitting to
SV vs Id at each temperature. Also, we observed a ubiquitous trend of "W" shape dependence of noise
power spectrum density with regards to temperature variations. As the mobility fluctuation of the
device was confirmed, such phenomenon would be understood as the change of scattering events
probability with the change of temperature. In conclusion, such findings would be applied to the further
design considerations of device and circuit design in considering the physical limit of signal strength to
be applied to the system.
Category: Engineering
Title: Corneal biomechanics as a function of race
Student Presenter: Preethi Chidambaram
Faculty Advisor: Roberts, Cynthia
Abstract: Corneal biomechanical properties are known to vary across age, gender, and race, evaluated in
donor eyes. This study aims to explore the differences in corneal biomechanics between different races,
in vivo, using corneal deformation response to an applied air puff with the CorVis ST. This preliminary
study focuses on young normal subjects, ages 18-30. Thus far, 23 South Asian subjects have been
prospectively enrolled, and three measurements were taken of each eye with the CorVis ST, as well as
Pentacam, Ocular Response Analyzer (ORA), Goldmann Applanation Tonometer (GAT), and Pascal
Dynamic Contour Tonometer (DCT). The subjects were compared to an existing database of CorVis
exams from Italian and Brazilian subjects, matched by biomechanically corrected IOP, central corneal
thickness, and age. The stiffness parameter (SP), corneal velocity, and deformation amplitude were
compared between groups. Greater stiffness is associated with greater resistance to deformation.
Therefore, a stiffer cornea would have a lower velocity and smaller deformation amplitude. T-tests were
performed between groups for each of these parameters using Statistical Analysis Software (SAS).
Significant differences (p<0.05) were found between the South Asian subjects and the Italian/Brazilian
subjects with regards to SP, corneal velocity, and deformation amplitude. South Asian subjects had a
higher stiffness parameter, lower velocity, and smaller deformation amplitude. These results are
consistent with each other, and show that South Asian corneas exhibit stiffer behavior. These results are
notable because these differences in corneal biomechanics by race are evident even in a young
population. Corneal biomechanical properties affect the accuracy of IOP measurements, disease
development, and response to surgery, so further exploring corneal biomechanical differences by race
could be very valuable.
Category: Engineering
Title: Development of DNA origami nanostructures for therapeutic nucleic acid delivery
Student Presenter: Amjad Chowdhury
Faculty Advisor: Castro, Carlos
Abstract: Complete human genome sequencing and the discovery of epigenetic gene regulation have
greatly increased the potential of nucleic acid (NA) therapy. However, unlike small molecule drugs, the
size and charged backbone of NAs prevent transport across the cell membrane, consequently creating
the need for novel delivery strategies. Here, we present the design and validation of a nanostructure
fabricated using DNA origami techniques that is capable of delivering NAs over broad length scales. DNA
origami is the self-assembly of DNA into custom structures with high programmability. These structures
have recently demonstrated favorable properties like stability and low toxicity for applications in
physiological systems. Furthermore, their compact size and precise geometry allow DNA origami
structures to enter cells via specific uptake mechanisms, namely endocytosis. The first iteration of our
structure contains single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) "overhangs" ~30 bases in length on its surface that
encode a sequence complementary to microRNA (miRNA): short regulatory ssRNA that are often
overexpressed in diseased cells. We first demonstrated successful sequestration of the oncogenic
miRNA-155 in solution in a selective manner using our nanostructures. We further showed that the
addition of ssDNA overhangs does not adversely affect passive uptake of the nanostructure into cells.
Currently, sequestration efficacy in a model cell line is being evaluated using a bioluminescent Luciferase
assay. The second iteration of our structure contains overhangs to load an ssDNA viral vector ~ 1000
bases in length for gene delivery using an adenovirus-associated vector containing the GFP reporter
gene. Currently, we are optimizing the surface distribution and sequence of overhangs on our structures
to maximize vector loading on the nanostructure. In the future, we plan to integrate the ability to target
these nanostructures to specific cells via incorporated antibodies and develop methods to deliver
combinations of multiple NAs and other drugs to enable more robust therapies.
Category: Engineering
Title: Partial oxidation of syngas using a novel thermokinetic model
Student Presenter: Tyler Christeson
Faculty Advisor: Fan, Liang-Shih
Abstract: The OSU methane-to-syngas chemical looping process system has been shown to reduce
natural gas consumption by 23% over a baseline system using auto-thermal reforming for 50,000 barrels
per day in liquid fuel production. These dramatic reductions in natural gas flows have been proposed
based on a Gibbs-Free energy minimization algorithm and bench-scale studies and further scale-up to a
25 kWth sub-pilot plant is in progress. This study focuses on developing a more robust predictive model
that includes combined kinetics and thermodynamic equilibrium modeling. The thermo-kinetic model
utilizes Gibbs-Free energy minimization for the thermodynamic aspect, while the kinetic component is
modeled using the Unreacted Shrinking Core Model (USCM). The overall model is coded in MATLAB,
then imported and simulated in ASPEN custom modeler. The overall model will be verified using moving-
bed experiments and will allow for better risk management in scaling up the process as a whole.
Reducing the risks in technology gaps using a thermo-kinetic model associated with process scale-up will
ensure that the methane-to-syngas chemical looping process system runs at the predicted efficiencies
from the thermodynamic modeling.
Category: Engineering
Title: Convenience for passengers in airport terminals during construction periods
Student Presenter: Adam cincione
Faculty Advisor: Young, Seth
Abstract: Each year millions of travelers utilize airports in the United States. In order to accommodate
the volume of travelers, airport terminals have evolved to become nearly luxurious places for
passengers to await their flights. In order to facilitate these changes, the Federal Aviation Authority has
established strict guidelines to ensure the safety of travelers. In order for airports to continue to follow
maintain these standards construction has become a continuous part of airport operations. Our project
goal is to make airport terminals more convenient for travelers during a construction period. We will
begin with research on when construction is necessary, followed by our in-depth research on how to
make it convenient, efficient and safe for travelers to move about terminals (i.e. wayfinding, baggage
claim, check in/check out, noise, etc.). Under the guidance of the faculty assisting in our research we will
be able to collaborate with airport consulting groups and airport managers to determine what the
current process is for construction and how it can be improved. We hope to sustain the same amount of
business and convenience for airports under construction as when the airport is operating normally. If
our research proves to be sustainable it could be implemented at airports throughout the country.
Category: Engineering
Title: Converting ammonia to fuel cell grade hydrogen using chemical looping
Student Presenter: Kate Clelland
Faculty Advisor: Fan, L.S.
Abstract: Currently, 81% of the energy consumed by the United States was generated by fossil fuels,
resulting in annually increasing CO2emission. As the energy usage continues to increase, the effects of
the release of CO2 as well as other greenhouse gases will also increase. A simple way to move away
from increasing the release of these greenhouses gases is to use carbon-free fuel sources, such as
hydrogen fuel cells. One current technology for hydrogen generation is catalytic ammonia cracking.
Ammonia is readily produced at an industrial scale and can potentially produce 1.5 moles of hydrogen
per mole of ammonia. Currently, the cracking of ammonia is costly and inefficient as well as operated
under high temperatures of 700-1100°C. In order to reduce operating temperatures and cost and
to produce hydrogen more efficiently in auto-thermal conditions, a novel chemical looping process is
utilized by feeding in ammonia and steam as well as a metal oxide. This system was simulated using two
RGIBBS reactors in the AspenPlus v8.0 software to validate thermodynamic results. Testing included
simulating different temperature and pressure based operating conditions in each of the reactors as
well as varying the relative amount of metal oxide, amount of steam fed to the system and heat
integration strategies. This testing resulted in thermal efficiency of >80% for various cases at wide range
of solids fed to the system, operating temperatures, and operating pressures as well as a conversion of
ammonia to hydrogen of >99%. The theoretical results of this project confirm that cracking ammonia to
create hydrogen is a viable option for a widely available carbon-free energy source for the future.
Additionally, this process may be utilized to convert other carbon neutral liquid fuels such as hydrazine
hydrate and carbohydrazide to produce hydrogen without carbon emissions.
Category: Engineering
Title: Sex-specific relationships of brain atrophy with age for determining age specific risk of subdural
hematoma
Student Presenter: Bernard Cook
Faculty Advisor: Kang, Yun Seok
Abstract: Elderly persons have a marked increase in injury susceptibility to subdural hematoma (SDH).
Decreasing brain parenchymal fraction (BPF) with age may lead to an increase in unfavorable outcome
of stated injury. The purpose of this study was to develop sex-specific relationships of BPF with age that
permits relating brain injury to SDH age-risk curves. Using the Alzheimer's Neuroimaging Initiative
(ADNI) database, 202 healthy (24≤MMSE≤30, CDR-SB=0; 107 female, 95 male, age
76.0±6.4 years) subjects' corrected 3.0T T1-weighted MRIs were analyzed using the default
settings of the "Segment" feature in SPM12 to obtain BPF. Corrected images have been altered with
post-processing algorithms to correct for image distortions arising from scanner coil properties and high
field strength. Correcting images permits inter-scanner comparisons by minimizing hardware biases.
Outliers were independently removed using a 1.5IQR univariate analysis. After outlier analysis, 5 images
had been removed for a total of 197 images. Linear regression was employed in MATLAB to fit each BPF-
age curve. Male and female samples yielded slopes of -0.0037/year (n=94, R2=0.29, p
Category: Engineering
Title: DNA origami stability for implementation in physiological environments
Student Presenter: Wen Dai
Faculty Advisor: Castro, Carlos
Abstract: Scaffolded DNA origami allows for the construction of custom-designed DNA nanostructures
via molecular self-assembly. Recently, DNA origami nanostructures displayed promising potential over a
wide range of biological applications such as drug delivery, biophysical measurement, and biomarker
detection. However, translating these devices to clinical or other biological applications require
thorough evaluation of DNA nanostructure structural stability under harsh physiologic conditions,
including the presence of nucleases. Previous studies revealed that DNA origami stability in the presence
of physiologic buffers varies from tens of minutes to several hours depending on the structure design
and specific buffer conditions. However, the relationship between DNA nanostructure physiological
stability and optimal design parameters remains poorly understood. Therefore, the objective of the
current study is to evaluate how different structural characteristics of DNA nanostructures affects
stability under a range of physiological conditions, including varying levels of salinity and fetal bovine
serum (FBS). Stability and degradation experiments were performed on a large panel of similar DNA
nanostructures which varied in a single parameter such as surface area, crossover frequency, lattice
cross section, scaffold routing, or number of overhangs. Structural stability of nanostructures was
monitored across varying concentrations of magnesium chloride (0-20mM) and fetal bovine serum (0%-
100%) during a 24-hour room temperature incubation period. Quantitative data was obtained using
agarose gel electrophoresis coupled with a gel intensity analysis program to monitor the long-term
stability of each structure and a spectrophotometer to collect degradation kinetics data. Results were
compiled to create an algorithm to predict the structural stability of DNA nanostructures based on their
characteristics and designing stable structures suitable for various physiologically relevant environment.
An additional goal for this work is to make a publically accessible database that DNA origami
nanostructure designers can use to create an optimal structure for any experimental conditions more
efficiently and conveniently.
Category: Engineering
Title: Insert from reality: a schema-driven approach to image capture of structured information
Student Presenter: Mohit Deshpande
Faculty Advisor: Nandi, Arnab
Abstract: There has been a rapid rise in availability of cameras on smartphones and augmented reality
wearables such as Google Glass and Hololens. At the same time, computer vision (CV) techniques have
reached a point in quality where they can be considered a commodity. We pick up where optical
character recognition (OCR) leaves off - while current digitization methods provide error-prone
recognized text, our methods look into the creation of well-formed, schema-rich records from ad-hoc
images, ready to be inserted into a database. We call this system Insert from Reality (IFR). IFR uses CV,
natural language processing (NLP), and a heuristic model to extract structured information from images.
We use OCR to extract text and a layout detection algorithm to determine visual structure. Finally, we
use a heuristic model that combines text, visual layout, and user-provided data to generate a high-
quality INSERT statement. Evaluations against a real dataset show that IFR provides fast, high-quality
extraction of structured information from image data. The average processing time for an image is
2.119s, with most of the time devoted to OCR. Using precision and recall as quality metrics, overall, we
achieve 96% precision and 74% recall for the final INSERT statements generated by IFR. To measure
usability, we conducted a user study where participants completed data tasks with table instances
generated by our system and image instances which were the raw inputs to IFR. This study showed that
participants preferred tables over images and took less time using tables than images when completing
complex data tasks or data tasks with many instances. Given the large amount of structured information
present as physical media such as medical forms or invoices, IFR gives us tremendous opportunity to
extract this structured information from raw, unstructured images into a database. We will include a
demonstration of IFR.
Category: Engineering
Title: Designing a paired-site catalyst to improve the conversion of sterically hindered Meerwin-
Ponndorf-Veerly reactions
Student Presenter: Brian Diep
Faculty Advisor: Brunelli, Nicholas
Abstract: Increasing energy and material demands of requires the development of cheap and efficient
catalysts. Catalysts containing Sn are an attractive solution to this problem because of their ease of
synthesis, inexpensive reagents, and good performance as heterogeneous catalysts. These versatile
catalysts are able to catalyze useful reactions important to a variety of industries such as the Meerwin-
Ponndorf-Veerly (MPV) reaction and the isomerization of glucose to fructose, among others. However,
while these catalysts are inexpensive and easy to make, they often suffer from low conversions. Drawing
on inspiration from enzymes, a novel catalyst was synthesized to counter this problem. Some enzymes
contain a pair of metal ions in their active site that are able to effectively catalyze reactions such as the
aldo-keto isomerization of D-xylose to D-xylulose. This key design is adapted by synthesizing Sn-SBA-15,
a Sn-containing mesoporous silica catalyst, using a Sn-dimer in place of traditional SnCl4. The result is a
novel catalyst that has a paired Sn site as the active site. Though initial results looked promising, it was
found that through the initial hydrothermal synthesis method there was an insignificant difference
between paired and isolated site catalysts. However, further experimentation using isolated-site
catalysts that are synthesized through a post-synthetic method grafting indicate that they achieve
similar performance in the MPV reaction between 2-propanol and cyclohexanone and greater
performance in the more hindered MPV reaction with 2-methylcyclohexanone and 2-butanol. This result
introduces a new factor of active site availability that can be adapted into future designs. By extending
this synthesis method to paired site catalysts, there is a potential to create an improved catalyst that will
be able to more effectively perform in more difficult to catalyze sterically hindered reactions.
Category: Engineering
Title: Oxygen-sensitive electrosprayed core-shell polymer microparticles for biological applications
Student Presenter: Nicole DiRando
Faculty Advisor: Lannutti, John
Abstract: The development of luminescent oxygen-sensitive core-shell polymer microparticles can
provide beneficial advantages to biological applications. The objective of this research is to create
optimal oxygen sensitive microparticles in an injectable form to detect hypoxic regions within tissue
indicative of areas of low oxygen concentration associated with tumor recurrence that often resists
traditional cancer treatments. Since oxygen quenches a luminescent output from oxygen-sensitive
molecules, decreases in oxygen concentration in biological tissue can be observed by an increased
fluorescent output; hypoxic regions can be correlated with the development of small tumors in tissue.
These luminescent oxygen-sensitive molecules typically require violet or blue excitation, which suffers
from poor tissue penetration due to high levels of absorption and scattering. Since near-infrared (NIR) is
tissue penetrating and excites upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) to create these blue or violet
wavelengths, UCNPs are incorporated in the microparticles to locally excite the oxygen-sensitive
molecule. Electrospraying solutions for the core and shell of the microparticles both consist of 1wt%
polysulfone (PSU) dissolved in a mixture of dichloromethane (DCM)/ hexafluoroisopropanol (HFP). The
core also contains the oxygen-sensitive dye and UCNPs. To avoid particle agglomeration, a dispersing
agent was added to the shell, and a bath sonication protocol developed. Electrospraying parameters
have been altered to obtain non-porous particles of uniform size distribution: core flow rate between
0.1-0.5mL/hr, shell flow rate between 0.5-1.5mL/hr, and a collection distance between 6.5-20cm. The
lack of agglomeration was confirmed through fluorescence microscopy, and scanning electron
microscopy used to compare particle morphology. Current work is focused on analyzing the leaching
behavior of the electrosprayed particles. Future work will focus on varying shell thickness to minimize
leaching and maximize the brightness of oxygen-sensitive emission. Overall, this research targets
development of optimal injectable microparticles that are oxygen-sensitive upon NIR excitation to locate
small hypoxic regions associated with early tumor recurrence.
Category: Engineering
Title: Design of a simulated moving bed reactor for the oxidative coupling of methane
Student Presenter: William Drees
Faculty Advisor: Fan, Liang-Shih
Abstract: The Oxidative Coupling of Methane (OCM) process upgrades an abundantly available resource,
methane, into value-added products such as ethane and ethylene in a one-step reaction. OCM is
typically performed in a co-feed configuration where methane is fed directly with molecular oxygen over
a catalyst. However, this co-feed configuration permits molecular oxygen to be immediately available to
combust desired products to carbon oxides limiting product yields. As a result, a chemical looping
system appears attractive where a catalytic oxygen carrier is utilized to deliver oxygen to the process in
a more controlled manner. In a chemical looping system, the catalytic oxygen carrier is oxidized with air
in one reactor and then transported to a separate moving bed reactor to be reduced by methane. The
moving bed reducer reactor can be operated in a co-current or counter-current configuration which can
have a large impact on product yields as the catalyst composition and reactivity are dependent on its
degree of oxidation. The two different moving bed configurations were simulated using two fixed bed
reactors in series. These reactors contained catalytic oxygen carriers of different oxidation degrees to
represent the conditions for co-current and counter-current moving bed reactors. The yields from the
two configurations were compared to yield obtained from a single fixed bed reactor operated in redox.
This work will lead to a better understanding of the catalyst, OCM reaction, and moving bed reactor
design.
Category: Engineering
Title: Redesign of a bio-sand water filter mold for use in rural Africa
Student Presenter: Allen Drown
Faculty Advisor: Dzwonczyk, Roger
Abstract: Each day, millions of people become sick because they do not have access to clean drinking
water. One of the most common sources of water-related sickness is E. coli, which can come from
contamination by human or animal feces. A lack of understanding the importance of using potable
sources of water exacerbates this problem. Drinking this water can cause serious health issues for
infants and children. E. coli commonly causes diarrhea and fevers in adults. Exposure can be fatal if left
untreated. The problem is to create a mold that can be used by a common Ghanaian to make a water
filter that can be put in a household environment. Biosand filters are common around Africa. The
constraints were to create a mold that can use materials found in country at a price that a family can
afford. The filter must also be easily reproducible, so the mold can create multiple filters for the village.
A mold design from a non-profit was chosen to base the improved design on. Two prototypes of the
design were constructed and tested at The Ohio State University. This involved constructing the mold,
pouring the concrete, washing and sieving the sand, and testing the flow rate. This process was critical
for troubleshooting potential issues with in-country implementation. The group traveled to Akumadan,
Ghana to implement the design, and the process of using the filter was taught to the villagers. The mold
was given to the village water department to build the filters in the future. Testing on the filtered water
showed a reduction in the concentration of E. coli by 30% with 2 days of use of the filter. The filter is
expected to reduce E. coli by 80% after 30 days of use.
Category: Engineering
Title: Improved models of joined sheet metal beam structures for vehicle safety studies
Student Presenter: Kelley Dugan
Faculty Advisor: Singh, Rajendra
Abstract: This research is motivated by the practical need of the automotive industry to enhance
simulation technology for use in crash sensor calibration prior to the construction of a physical
prototype. Successful completion of this study should aid in developing connection models and damping
parameters for use in full-scale vehicle crash models. In particular, prior literature has suggested the
need to extend the frequency range up to at least 400 Hz for simulation technology. The purpose of this
research is to create computational (finite element) models of sheet metal beam structures that are
joined using spot welds and structural adhesives. Benchmark laboratory experiments are conducted to
assist with validation of the finite element model with emphasis on the connection properties. Dynamic
accelerations and forces (under impulsive loading) are measured to compare to the model predictions in
both the frequency and time domains. Parameters of the model that are examined include mesh size,
part thickness, contact, and interfacial damping models. Results show that the beam structures joined
with structural adhesives and spot welds can be idealized as having rigid connections with light damping.
Conversely, the beam structure joined via spot welds alone exhibits significantly higher damping due to
dissipation mechanisms within the interface. This on-going study will enhance the methodology of
connection modeling for joined structures used in civil, mechanical, and aerospace applications.
Category: Engineering
Title: Effects of compressive stress on the migration of glioblastoma cells
Student Presenter: Eileen Elliott
Faculty Advisor: Winter, Jessica
Abstract: The application of engineering principles and technologies to biological systems has enabled
the advent of new healthcare strategies. This research is focused on understanding the effects of
compression on the migration of brain tumor cells in vitro, as well as understanding the molecular basis
regarding this change. Compression in the brain arises due to the barrier formed by the cranium. As
intracranial pressure increases, due to a head injury or tumor, compression will increase. If left
untreated, compression of the brain can lead to the destruction of brain tissue and even death. Previous
studies have shown that increasing the compression on breast cancer cells has led to an increase in
migration. The increase in migration of cancer cells in comparison to somatic cells may explain a portion
of the invasive nature of cancer cells. To study the relationship between cell migration and compression,
different sized weights were placed on top of three types of glioblastoma cells and their migration
patterns were recorded. To assess cell migration and proliferation, a traditional wound healing assay
was employed, as well as 2D and 3D single cell migration assays which can evaluate multi-directional cell
movement. To complete the 3D migration assay, a hydrogel was engineered to mimic the specific
viscosity and elasticity of the environment around the brain. Increasing the pressure above 56 Pa of
compression causes a decrease in the migration of the glioblastoma cells. Lower pressures are currently
being investigated to determine at what point compression increases migration. Our long-term objective
from this research is to elucidate the effects of compressive solid stress on glioblastoma cell migration
to introduce drug interventions to prevent the migration of glioblastoma cells.
Category: Engineering
Title: Study of co-injection molding using a Hele-Shaw cell
Student Presenter: Matthew Ellison
Faculty Advisor: Koelling, Kurt
Abstract: Co-injection molding incorporates the use of two or more immiscible polymers to make a
singular part. Industrially, this process is accomplished by injecting one material within another to create
a skin and core combination. This allows for the creation of parts that combine desirable characteristics
such as rigidity and flexibility seen in products ranging from toothbrushes to phone cases. In addition,
this process is used to create plastics that combine virgin and recycled material without sacrificing
durability through degradation. In order to better understand the influence of viscosity and surface
tension in the co-injection process, a Hele-Shaw cell, consisting of two long plates separated by a narrow
gap is used to represent the 2-dimensional analog to the industrial process. Prior experimentation with
the Hele-Shaw cell was used to model the gas-assisted injection molding (GAIM) process where only one
plastic is injected into the mold followed by an air bubble to create a hollow part. This work was able to
characterize differences based on the rheology of the displaced fluid in the GAIM process as well as
determine the thickness of the coating at the end of the process based on a ratio of viscous to surface
tension forces. The goal of this project is to expand this model to include the co-injection process.
Testing analyzes the following variables: identity of the penetrating and displaced fluid, cell geometry,
surface tension and viscosity ratio between the penetrating and displaced fluids. Industrially, co-
injection is used to create a wide array of parts. Since these parts are costly to test individually, this
research will contribute to a better understanding and prediction of the fluid interaction within the
process and decrease process cost.
Category: Engineering
Title: Convenience for passengers in airport terminals during construction periods
Student Presenter: Sarah Finello
Faculty Advisor: Young, Seth
Abstract: Each year millions of travelers utilize airports in the United States. In order to accommodate
the volume of travelers, airport terminals have evolved to become nearly luxurious places for
passengers to await their flights. In order to facilitate these changes, the Federal Aviation Authority has
established strict guidelines to ensure the safety of travelers. In order for airports to continue to follow
maintain these standards construction has become a continuous part of airport operations. Our project
goal is to make airport terminals more convenient for travelers during a construction period. We will
begin with research on when construction is necessary, followed by our in-depth research on how to
make it convenient, efficient and safe for travelers to move about terminals (i.e. wayfinding, baggage
claim, check in/check out, noise, etc.). Under the guidance of the faculty assisting in our research we will
be able to collaborate with airport consulting groups and airport managers to determine what the
current process is for construction and how it can be improved. We hope to sustain the same amount of
business and convenience for airports under construction as when the airport is operating normally. If
our research proves to be sustainable it could be implemented at airports throughout the country.
Category: Engineering
Title: Development of a formaldehyde exposure system for testing of residential measurement devices
Student Presenter: Paige Frey
Faculty Advisor: Dannemiller, Karen
Abstract: Development of a formaldehyde exposure system for testing of residential measurement
devices Paige Frey Faculty Advisor: Karen Dannemiller The Ohio State University January 2017 Abstract
Formaldehyde exposure is associated with eyes, nose, and throat irritation, as well as cancer.
Formaldehyde is present in the air of nearly all indoor environments because it is utilized in many
products present in homes such as pressed-wood structures, furniture and some clothing. Despite the
health concerns and ubiquity in living spaces, the typical home occupant or business owner has no easy
and affordable method to measure formaldehyde exposure levels. The overall goal of this work is to
develop an in-home formaldehyde measurement system that can be easily used by citizen scientists and
concerned citizens for less than $5 per measurement. Morphix Technologies currently sells colorimetric
badges that detect formaldehyde in occupational settings. These badges are being modified and tested
in order to improve usability in the residential environment and characterize the extent of color change
relative to the formaldehyde dosage. This project details the use of an exposure chamber to expose the
badges to several different concentrations of formaldehyde, ranging from 10-160 ppb. Through the use
of a permeation tube system, as chemical reactions occur within the badge, it changes color and
becomes darker. A SmartPhone App will be created to measure the color change to allow for in-home
formaldehyde readings. The blank samples resulted in 0.8 Hue Saturation and Value (HSV) before and
after exposure. As predicted, when exposed to 80 ppb and 160 ppb formaldehyde, the value reduced to
0.775 and 0.75 HSV, respectively. The feasibility of testing formaldehyde must be improved in order to
allow citizens across the entire population to measure their personal formaldehyde exposure levels and
understand how these may be affecting their health. The SmartPhone App developed by this research
will allow people to access this information readily and can empower citizen scientists to reduce their
indoor exposure to this harmful contaminant.
Category: Engineering
Title: Modularization strategy for syngas generation in chemical looping methane reforming systems
with CO2 as feedstock
Student Presenter: Charles Fryer
Faculty Advisor: Fan, Liang-Shih
Abstract: This study considers a CO2 feedstock in conventional methane reforming processes (dry
reforming, mixed reforming, and tri-reforming) and metal oxide lattice oxygen based chemical looping
reforming in an attempt to minimize natural gas feedstock costs. Lattice oxygen from iron-titanium
composite metal oxide is identified to provide most efficient co-utilization of CO2 with CH4. A
modularization chemical looping strategy is developed to further improve process efficiencies using a
thermodynamic rationale. Modularization leverages the ability of two or more reactors operating in
parallel to produce a higher quality syngas than a single reactor operating alone while offering a direct
solution to scale up of multiple parallel reactor processes. Experiments are also conducted with various
reactor operating conditions validating the thermodynamic simulation results. Simulation and
experimental results ascertain that a cocurrent moving bed in a modularization system can operate
under CO2 neutral or negative conditions. The results for a modularization process system for 50,000
barrels per day of liquid fuel indicate a ~23% reduction of natural gas usage over a baseline case.
Modularization improves the commercial feasibility and domestic competitiveness of natural gas to
liquid transportation fuels technology compared to foreign oil while offering an immediate solution to
CO2 utilization.
Category: Engineering
Title: Automatically solving elementary school math word problems
Student Presenter: Reid Fu
Faculty Advisor: Ritter, Alan
Abstract: Solving math word problems is a long-standing challenge in natural language processing. Past
projects have used verb categorization and semantic graph building to solve addition and subtraction
problems. This project seeks to use these methods to solve multiplication and division problems as well.
The system uses information extracted from text to build a semantic graph. The semantic graph is
updated based on the category of the verb in the sentence. When all sentences have been processed,
the system builds equations from the semantic graph. The equations are then solved to obtain an
answer to the problem. We do not currently have preliminary results, but will have results by March
29th. Our contribution is two-fold: we extend modern methods to a broader problem domain, and we
collect a large dataset for future use.
Category: Engineering
Title: Replacing cables: intra-vehicular data broadcasting via the audio infrastructure
Student Presenter: Ahmed Almostafa Gashgash
Faculty Advisor: Koksal, Can Emre
Abstract: Intra-vehicular communication of sensor outputs and control unit signals are currently handled
via cables. Due to the weight and safety issues associated with cables, the automotive industry aims to
transfer as much signaling as possible to the wireless domain. However, wireless RF communication is
prone to jamming and eavesdropping. The wireless spectrum is also scarce, and issues with interference
and contention hinder reliable low-delay communication. To address these issues, we used the vehicle's
existing speaker system to communicate part of the intra-vehicular signaling. This approach uses the 18
- 23 kHz frequency range to transmit the sound signal, which is inaudible to the human ear. We designed
a digital communication system, composed of transmitters and receivers. On the transmission end, the
signal output that is originally connected to the cables, is encoded, modulated, and broadcasted through
the speaker. On the receive end, the targeted device is equipped with a small microphone to collect the
desired data signal, which is then demodulated and decoded accordingly. To reduce the error rate, we
implemented and tested different channel coding techniques, and achieved reliable transmission of data
at rates up to 2.2 kbps. We also implemented OFDM to further improve the data transmission rate. Our
approach reduces the usage of cables in vehicles, thus reducing their weight. It also uses the existing
audio infrastructure to provide reliable and safe communication without the use of wireless RF
transmissions.
Category: Engineering
Title: Encapsulation of anthocyanin in floating alginate-pectin hydrogel particles
Student Presenter: Celene Gielink
Faculty Advisor: Kaletunc, Gonul
Abstract: Anthocyanin is a natural colorant present in fruits and vegetables, providing red, blue or purple
color. Anthocyanin also has health benefits including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-
carcinogenic properties. Due to the instability of anthocyanins during processing and storage, research
continues for delivery methods to mitigate the effects of light, heat, oxygen, and pH on ACN.
Encapsulation in hydrogels has been investigated to protect anthocyanin until it reaches the small
intestine which is the most efficient location for epithelial tissue uptake. However, because some drugs
are absorbed in the stomach and the upper part of the small intestine, a longer gastric residence time is
desired to maximize their uptake. A blend of alginate and pectin was used to encapsulate ACN in
spherical particles that remain floating, or suspended, in food or beverage until it is consumed. These
particles maintain their integrity in the potential delivery vehicles of low pH beverage and in the
stomach. Floating particles would be evenly distributed inside the beverage container and would
contribute to the desired color due to the transparent nature of alginate-pectin hydrogel. The objective
of the study is optimization of particle production parameters so that particles stay suspended during
the shelf life of the beverage. Hydrogel particles were prepared by extrusion of alginate-pectin and
purple corn anthocyanin mixture into pH 1 buffer. Floating particles were produced by incorporating air
bubbles into the mixture placed in an ice bath by using a high shear mixer. After curing, the particles
were characterized by measuring their size under the microscope, and their density. Suspension
characteristics were monitored over a period of three weeks to develop a relationship between the
production parameters and buoyancy of the hydrogel particles. Lower solution temperatures and mixing
at high shear produced well distributed smaller air bubbles leading to longer suspension times.
Category: Engineering
Title: Investigating the dynamics of coupled multistable structures
Student Presenter: Benjamin Goodpaster
Faculty Advisor: Harne, Ryan
Abstract: Reliable aircraft components capable of operating in the extreme conditions of hypersonic
flight would have wide-ranging applications in the development of future commercial and military air
vehicles. A major obstacle to this objective is that the thin skin panels that compose aircraft structures
may warp into states with multiple static equilibria. These panels may then exhibit snap-through, or
high-amplitude oscillations between static equilibria, in consequence to the mechanical, thermal, and
acoustical loads experienced by aircraft traveling at hypersonic speeds. This "skin buckling"
phenomenon permanently deforms airframe panels and can lead to decreased flight performance
characteristics, increased wear on structural components, decreased structure life, and catastrophic
failure in extreme circumstances. While the steady-state dynamics of simple bistable structures have
been well characterized, it is unclear how to generalize this knowledge to a complex multistable
structure, such as a post-buckled aircraft panel. This research explores the skin buckling phenomenon
and attempts to gain a fundamental understanding of multistable structures in general by analyzing a
built-up multistable structure consisting of coupled, bistable beams. Experimental parametric studies
are conducted on this structure to investigate the relationships among structural parameters, degree of
coupling, and excitation characteristics. Numerical analysis, performed in parallel with the experiments,
is used to compare predictions of the dynamic behaviors to the observations. The results of this
research will be used in order to gain insight into how best to design future airframes to reduce or
eliminate the negative effects that skin buckling imposes on hypersonic vehicles.
Category: Engineering
Title: LongQt: a cardiac electrophysiology simulation platform
Student Presenter: Daniel Gratz
Faculty Advisor: Hund, Thomas
Abstract: @page { margin: 0.79in } p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 120% } Mathematical modeling
has been used for over half a century to advance our understanding of cardiac electrophysiology and
arrhythmia mechanisms. Notably, computational studies using mathematical models of the cardiac
action potential (AP) have provided important insight into the fundamental nature of cell excitability,
mechanisms underlying both acquired and inherited arrhythmia, and potential therapies. Ultimately, an
approach that tightly integrates mathematical modeling and experimental techniques has great
potential to accelerate discovery. Despite the increasing acceptance of mathematical modeling as a
powerful tool in cardiac electrophysiology research, there remain significant barriers to its more
widespread use in the field, due in part to the increasing complexity of models and growing need for
specialization. To help bridge the gap between experimental and theoretical worlds that stands as a
barrier to transformational breakthroughs, we present LongQt, which has the following key features:
Cross-platform, threaded application with accessible graphical user interface. Facilitates advanced
computational cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmia studies. Does not require advanced
programming skills.
Category: Engineering
Title: Robotics project leveraging the Arduino microcontroller platform to improve attitudes toward
engineering through a design experience for middle school students
Student Presenter: Clayton Greenbaum
Faculty Advisor: Anderson, Betty Lise
Abstract: Introducing students to the engineering design process through a hands-on experience similar
to a college level Makeathon can expose them to the basic principles of engineering and provide a
positive, tangible experience to reinforce lessons and improve attitudes toward reaching a career in
engineering. The K-12 Outreach program within the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
frequently engages students with guided, hands-on engineering activities that expose students to
engineering design and provide a positive, tangible experience working toward a predetermined
outcome. The aim of this project was to build upon the efforts of the K-12 Outreach program by
teaching students some fundamentals of the design process prior to engaging them in an open-ended
robotics design project. Leveraging recent trends in the hobbyist community to make computer systems
and programming more accessible to middle school students, the project used an Arduino based
microprocessor platform and the Snap! programming environment to enable easy access to a robotics
project. The process involved: teaching students in the engineering design process; guiding students
through a series of group activities to reinforce the design lessons; mentoring students through a design
project, which applied the lessons learned. Eighteen students in grades 6-8 were recruited to participate
in the camp. Working in teams of three, the students planned, constructed, and programmed six
different interactive robots instrumented with actuators and sensors. This project engaged students in
the engineering design process and encouraged critical thinking habits; these skills are an increasingly
important part of the twenty-first century economy, not only will they prepare students for the jobs of
the future, but they will also prove to be an indispensable basis for solving the grand challenges of the
century.
Category: Engineering
Title: Converting coal to value-added products in a dual-modular chemical looping system with 100%
carbon efficiency
Student Presenter: Gabrielle Grigonis
Faculty Advisor: Fan, L.S.
Abstract: Developing technologies which increase carbon dioxide utilization to decrease emitted carbon
dioxide from the system are of particular interest to science and engineering. Coal is an abundant and
inexpensive carbon source which can be converted to chemicals and liquid fuels to increase the nation's
energy supply. Syngas is an intermediate fuel gas, comprised mostly of carbon monoxide and hydrogen,
which can be generated by coal-gasification. Conventional technologies utilize air separation units to
supply oxygen for oxidizing coal, which are costly and carbon inefficient. The chemical looping system
offers a less expensive alternative for coal gasification by co-injecting an iron-titanium complex metal
oxide (ITCMO) as the oxygen source with steam and CO2. The ITCMO is reduced in the reducer reactor
when gasifying coal, and the lattice oxygen is replenished in the combustor reactor for recycling. The
chemical looping process, in which thermodynamics dictates the favorability of the reactions and
provides operating limitations, is simulated and analyzed using ASPEN PLUS process simulation
software. This research found dual modular configurations for which a coal to chemicals/liquid fuels
process may be thermodynamically operated at 100% carbon efficiency. This project has the potential to
re-introduce a carbon dioxide stream to the two modular system from the output stream. Experimental
studies are in progress to verify the simulated advantages in syngas purity, reduction of carbon dioxide
emission, and reduction of cost for coal to syngas systems.
Category: Engineering
Title: VFA spot welding of Aluminum 5052 and Steel DP590
Student Presenter: Jiahui Gu
Faculty Advisor: Daehn, Glenn
Abstract: Reliable bonding between aluminum and steel, which is significant for light weight design of
automotive, is a major challenge faced by the industry. The goal of this research is to further develop an
applicable and repeatable spot welding process using Vaporized Foil Actuator (VFA), which reduces the
energy cost per weld by approximately 90% as compared to state of the arc resistance spot welding. This
process can create a solid-state impact weld between steel target and aluminum flyer, propelled by
highly kinetic gas generated from electrical vaporization of another conductor. The gap needed to allow
for acceleration of the flyer sheet is created by pre-deforming a concavity in the steel target. The
diameter of the concavity also determines the size of the spot weld. The team designed new die and
punches with controlled pre-deformation profile for target material to create welds which have similar
size as a resistance spot weld. Increasing repeatability and minimizing the amount of intermetallic
compounds formed at the interface were also major objectives of the project The lap shear testing of
welds revealed that the weld is stronger than the parent aluminum as the failure occurred outside the
welded region. The diameter of the weld spot can be reduced to 9mm with 1.2kJ energy required per
weld from 14mm which required 2.5kJ of input energy. With controlled target deformation profile and
material surface condition and modified equipment setup, the quality and repeatability of the weld was
improved. New designs of process are undergoing based on data collected to improve the feasibility and
robustness of the manufacturing process. The VFA spot welding can be widely used for welding of
dissimilar metals. Furthermore, VFA welding, being a cold-welding process, creates no heat-affected
zones and the sensitive microstructure of engineered alloys can be mostly preserved in the welded
region.
Category: Engineering
Title: Replicability of classification procedures for microarray gene expression data
Student Presenter: Dinank Gupta
Faculty Advisor: Yousefi, Mohammadmahdi
Abstract: Many recent cancer diagnosis and prognosis studies have suggested that gene expression
profiles, such as microarrays and RNA-seq data, may serve as reliable detectors/predictors of several
cancers or their outcomes. To discover these clinically useful biomarkers, a preliminary study with a
small set of specimens is conducted, then a statistical analysis or machine learning procedure is carried
out and if the results are satisfactory, a follow-on study with a large set of samples is conducted to
validate the findings. Unfortunately, it has been estimated that as much as 75% of published biomarker
results are not replicable. The objective of this research was to determine the replicability of
classification procedures applied on microarray-gene expression data and to estimate the specimen size
that would ensure that results from a biomarker designed on a preliminary study will be consistent on a
follow up study. Multiple classification procedures using rules such as LDA, SVM, Random Forest and K-
NN and error estimators like bootstrapping, cross-validation and LOO were implemented on emulated
microarray-gene expression data. Then statistical inference was applied on the results from these
procedures to find their replicability. Results from the simulations showed a correlation between
number of preliminary sample size and replicability of a classification procedure. An estimate of the
preliminary sample size that would ensure certain level of replicability was also found. Future research
work involves finding replicability of classification procedures applied on RNA-seq data.
Category: Engineering
Title: Modeling microbial growth in carpet dust under diurnal variations in relative humidity
Student Presenter: Sarah Haines
Faculty Advisor: Dannemiller, Karen
Abstract: People spend 90% of their time indoors where resuspension of floor dust serves as a major
source of human exposure. Studies have shown that when the relative humidity (RH) is elevated
microbial communities grow at an exponential rate. It is still unknown however how diurnal variations in
RH will affect this growth. The purpose of this work is to demonstrate how fungal and bacterial growth
in house dust can be modeled using the "time-of-wetness" (TOW) concept from fungal growth on
drywall. The TOW concept demonstrates that as the TOW of the dust increases so too does the relative
growth rate of fungi and bacteria. To begin this experiment carpet was collected from 6 homes across
Ohio, cut in to 10 cm x 10 cm squares and embedded with dust from the same home. Three squares
from the same home were placed inside an incubation chamber with data loggers and a salt solution to
regulate RH for two weeks. RH was maintained at 50% and then increased to either 85% or 100% for a
period of 0, 6, 12, 18 or 24 hours per day. The carpet was hydroscopic as indicated by the fact that after
6 hours at 50% the RH did not lower to 50%, but instead maintained at around 70% to 80%. Quantitative
polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was performed on all dust DNA extractions from the carpet. These
measurements revealed that the relative growth rate fit the TOW model within the determined Pearson
Correlation Coefficient of 0.897. We will continue to collect up to 20 homes to include in this study.
Ultimately, this data can be used to accurately model fungal growth in housing based on moisture and
can be utilized in public health, policy, and epidemiological models.
Category: Engineering
Title: Targeted drug delivery for leukemia with DNA origami nanostructures
Student Presenter: Laura Heyeck
Faculty Advisor: Castro, Carlos
Abstract: An estimated 600,000 Americans will die from cancer in 2017. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
is a particularly deadly form of cancer, with a five-year survival rate of only 26 percent. Chemotherapy,
currently the frontline treatment method, has two main limitations: cancer cells can develop drug
resistances and the drugs harm healthy cells as well as cancer cells. Currently no FDA-approved targeted
therapies exist for AML. The purpose of this project is to develop an effective nanoparticle based cancer
drug delivery device that can target and destroy AML cells. DNA nanostructures have recently garnered
attention as a novel method for cancer drug delivery due to the precise control they allow over
nanostructure geometry. It has recently been shown that when daunorubicin, a drug widely used to
treat AML, is attached to DNA nanostructures, the nanostructures allow the drug to circumvent
developed drug resistance in cancer cells. Therefore, we hypothesize that building a targeted version of
these DNA drug delivery devices could lead to an effective treatment for AML and other cancers. We
developed a method that uses the specificity of antibody-antigen interactions to use DNA origami to
target CD33 antigens on HL-60 AML cells. We utilized the highly precise geometry of DNA origami to
attach anti-CD33 antibodies to specific locations on a nanostructure, to prevent non-target cell
interactions. Fluorescent microscopy experiments showed that when the anti-CD33 antibody is attached
to a DNA nanostructure, without cancer drugs and in the presence of other cell types, the nanostructure
preferentially bound to the cell membranes of HL-60 AML cells. We are currently attaching daunorubicin
to the DNA nanostructures to determine the efficacy of this platform. These promising targeting results
suggest DNA origami has strong potential as a cancer drug delivery device that can potentially
simultaneously circumvent drug resistance and target cancer cells.
Category: Engineering
Title: Construction of efficient models for turbomachinery with cracks using X-Xr and BAA
Student Presenter: Tianyi Hu
Faculty Advisor: D'souza, Kiran
Abstract: Analysis of the influence of cracks on turbomachinery is important for design, failure prognosis
and structural health monitoring. However, predicting the dynamics of turbomachinery with cracks is
relatively challenging because the size of industrial turbomachinery models are typically quite large
since they need to capture the complex geometry. The large model size combined with the nonlinearity
due to the cracks in the turbomachinery requires a considerable computational effort. To deal with this
difficulty, an efficient method to build reduced order models (ROMs) for turbomachinery with cracks is
developed. This technique employs the relative coordinates to describe the motion of the crack surface
and is referred to as X-Xr approach. The relative coordinates are defined as the relative displacements
between contact pairs along the crack surface. The matrices of the governing equations are divided into
the relative and pristine components. Due to the specialized form of the X-Xr approach, the ROM of the
turbomachinery with a crack is constructed from models of the cracked and pristine sector models
alone, without the need for constructing the full stage model of the system, and thus greatly lowering
the computational expense. The bilinear amplitude approximation (BAA) is combined with the ROM to
quickly estimate the forced response of the piecewise-linear nonlinear system using linear analysis. The
X-Xr method has been used on a turbomachinery model with a crack to lower the size of the model from
approximately 80,000 degrees of freedom to approximately 200 degrees of freedom. In addition to the
ROM matching the modal properties of the full-order system, the forced response analysis from using
the ROM with BAA has also been shown to match the full-order nonlinear result. The work presents a
way to create a ROM that can be used to analyze turbomachinery with cracks at a fraction of the time
that is needed for the full-order analysis.
Category: Engineering
Title: Variable stiffness robotic arm for safe human-robot interaction using layer jamming
Student Presenter: Carter Hurd
Faculty Advisor: Su, Haijun
Abstract: Soft robotics is an important frontier in robotics research. Due to the high compliance of soft
robots, they can be extremely durable, less likely to damage the surrounding environment, and much
safer for use around humans. These attributes are particularly desirable for "co-robots," or robots which
share their workplace with people. However, soft robots lack the positional accuracy and load
capabilities of traditional rigid robots. As such, there is a desire to create robots which combine the
capabilities of traditional ridged robots with the safety of soft robots. Previous research has
demonstrated a variable stiffness technology known as pneumatic-actuated layer jamming. The goal of
this project was to build to a variable-stiffness robotic arm utilizing this layer jamming technology to
achieve the precision and load capabilities of a traditional robot and the safety of a compliant soft robot.
To determine the best design for this arm, a test rig was set up to evaluate the stiffness of different layer
jamming samples. Samples of various designs and materials were tested, and positive relationship
between number of layers and maximum stiffness was observed. A configuration with a high maximum
stiffness was selected to give the robotic arm high load capabilities, and a prototype arm was built and is
being evaluated at this time. In the future, this type of robotic arm could safely work around humans by
adjusting its stiffness in real time to ensure that it is in a safe, flexible state when contact with a person
might occur.
Category: Engineering
Title: Quantification and analysis of carbon deposition on a catalytic oxygen carrier for oxidative
coupling of methane
Student Presenter: Kevin Ikeda
Faculty Advisor: Fan, Liang-Shih
Abstract: The current commercial method of obtaining ethylene, a highly valuable product, through
steam cracking is highly process and energy intensive. An alternative way to obtain ethylene is through
the direct conversion of natural gas to ethylene in a one step process through oxidative coupling of
methane (OCM). A chemical looping scheme is an attractive mode of operation for OCM because of the
enhanced selectivity towards ethylene made possible by a catalytic oxygen carrier (COC). However, a
major concern for this process is carbon deposition, or "coking", which deactivates the COC by blocking
active sites. Coking may be prominent in an OCM system, as the reactor is operated with limited supply
of oxygen. Solid carbon compounds form and collect in the catalyst bed and is difficult to directly
measure because they are not present in the reactor gas outlet. The goal of this project is to identify and
quantify solid carbon formation using analytical techniques and to determine effects of carbon
deposition on the performance of our COC for OCM. To quantify the solid carbon formation, COC
samples were run for different time periods in the fixed bed reactor and analyzed using a carbon
analyzer. After quantification of carbon, X-ray diffraction analysis will be done to confirm the phase of
carbon on the COC. After preliminary tests, carbon was detected on both fresh and used COC. The
presence of carbon on unreacted COC indicates that other carbon compounds besides carbon
deposition may form. Evaluating the amount of carbon deposition and the existence of other carbon
compounds is the first step in learning how they form and a step toward reducing the amount of side
reactions to increase the yield of ethylene in our system. This is also helpful in indicating the upper
reaction time limit for our system before coking occurs.
Category: Engineering
Title: Scalable synthesis of micellar nanocomposites via liquid-liquid electrospray
Student Presenter: Megan Ireland
Faculty Advisor: Winter, Jessica
Abstract: The increased demand for micro/nano scale materials for biological applications (i.e. bio-
imaging and drug delivery) has led to an interest in furthering the current biomedical strategies.
Specifically, targeted drug delivery has been widely studied through utilization of polymer aggregates,
which can encapsulate therapeutic and diagnostic agents. However, the standard synthesis routes are
primarily limited to a small scale product volume. Therefore, a scalable synthesis method is desired to
achieve high volume production. The goal of this research is to utilize Liquid-Liquid Electrospray (LLE) to
produce quantum dot encapsulated nanocomposites, multidots, for cancer diagnostics. LLE is a semi-
continuous method which can atomize a dielectric, organic solvent in an aqueous solvent through the
establishment of an electrical field. This process can form stable emulsion droplets without the use of a
surfactant in the aqueous phase. The absence of surfactant is advantageous because high quality
particles can be obtained without purification steps. In this technique, the atomization of an organic
solution, including quantum dots and PS-PEO or its derivatives, into ultrapure water will generate
emulsion droplets and is followed by interfacial instability to promote the self-assembly of quantum dot
encapsulated micelles. Here, we report the effect of the charge of the end functionalization of the
polymer on the fluorescent decay of the multidot. Functionalization of the polymer is necessary for
bioconjugation of the multidot to a Her2 antibody, which is specific for receptors on breast cancer cells.
Bioconjugation for LLE synthesized multidots is in the process of being optimized in order to successfully
label a greater number of cancer cells.
Category: Engineering
Title: Semi-supervised flood mapping using crowdsourcing
Student Presenter: Peter Jacobs
Faculty Advisor: Parthasarathy, Srinivasan
Abstract: Flood mapping is the process of labeling the pixels of an aerial or satellite image of a flooded
geographic region as land or water. Fast and accurate production of flood maps is critical. Public safety
officials are responsible for coordinating relief efforts, and accurate flood maps serve as crucial guidance
in mobilizing resources. This project introduces a fast and simple semi-supervised learning solution for
flood mapping. The input image is first clustered into patches. Users then provide labels for a couple of
the patches, and finally K Nearest Neighbors is run to produce the flood map. One of the challenges
associated with using semi-supervised learning in this setting is how to quickly collect and efficiently
utilize externally provided labels. We develop a crowdsourcing web application that can be deployed in
a flood disaster. The application can quickly accumulate sufficient ground truth knowledge to generate a
high quality flood map given Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data. Through experiments in an offline
setting using data from the 2015 Chennai, India flood, we show the efficiency and effectiveness of our
algorithm compared to existing techniques. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our method in an
online setting, we plan to introduce an image of a partially flooded area to a class of students using our
web application. The performance and accuracy of the flood map created will be compared to that of
baseline algorithms. This work demonstrates how human supervision can be collected conveniently and
utilized efficiently in a semi-supervised framework for creating flood maps. In a broader context, this
work is a proof of concept for using large scale human guidance to conduct semi-supervised image
segmentation.
Category: Engineering
Title: Modulation of platelet-collagen adhesion by DDR1
Student Presenter: Blain Jones
Faculty Advisor: Agarwal, Gunjan
Abstract: Platelet-collagen adhesion is primarily mediated through the binding of platelet receptors,
such as glycoprotein VI (GPVI) to collagen and GPIb to collagen-bound von Willebrand factor (VWF). The
role of non-platelet derived receptors in modulating platelet-collagen interaction is not well-understood.
Discoidin domain receptor 1 (DDR1) is a collagen-binding receptor tyrosine kinase that inhibits collagen
fibril formation and disrupts the native banded structure of collagen fibers. We have recently shown
how the adventitia of DDR1 KO mice exhibited collagen fibrils with larger diameters, and an increase in
the depth of D-periods as compared to their wild type (WT) littermates. The purpose of this study was to
examine if changes in the collagen fibril structure in the DDR1 KO vessel wall impact platelet adhesion
and the extent to which this is modulated by VWF vs. GPVI. Human platelet-rich plasma was incubated,
both with and without VWF or GPVI inhibitors, over aortic cross sections from DDR1 KO and WT mice
under static conditions. Platelet adhesion to the adventitia of the vessel wall was evaluated using
indirect immunofluorescence microscopy. Quantitative analysis of platelet adhesion to the adventitia
was carried out by analyzing the area of platelet particles per unit area of collagen. The results displayed
that DDR1 KO mice had greater platelet adhesion to adventitia than WT. Also, DDR1 knockout mice
showed greater inhibition than the WT mice in the presence of both VWF and GPVI inhibitors. We thus
elucidate that changes in collagen fibril ultrastructure impact platelet-collagen adhesion by altering the
number of VWF and GPVI binding sites available on collagen fibrils. This knowledge is important for
pathological conditions, such as atherosclerosis and aneurysms, where collagen is extensively
remodeled, and could lead to altered collagen fibril structure and thrombogenic events.
Category: Engineering
Title: The role of matrix stiffness in regulating matrix metalloproteinase activity of the tumor
microenvironment
Student Presenter: Kathryn Kaltenmark
Faculty Advisor: Leight, Jennifer
Abstract: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of proteolytic enzymes that enable cell-
mediated remodeling of the tumor microenvironment. MMP levels have been found to be upregulated
in almost all tumor types and have been shown to play a critical role in extracellular matrix remodeling,
basement membrane penetration, and eventually, tumor metastasis. It has been shown that matrix
stiffness increases with tumor progression, however, it has yet to be elucidated how mechanical cues
from the microenvironment such as matrix stiffness work to regulate MMP activity and how this activity
is spatially distributed. Recently, a mouse model has been developed which recapitulates tissue
stiffness, a characteristic of breast tumors, attributed to increased collagen and extracellular matrix
(ECM) deposition by stromal fibroblasts which is associated with increased tumor incidence and load.
We hypothesize that the increased matrix stiffness associated with tumor progression will enhance
MMP activity of stromal fibroblasts. To investigate this hypothesis, we are utilizing a poly(ethylene
glycol) hydrogel system functionalized with a fluorogenic MMP sensor to pursue two aims: 1)
visualization and quantification of in situ MMP activity and tissue stiffness in murine mammary tumors
and 2) encapsulation of isolated fibroblasts in hydrogels with precisely tuned stiffness. Preliminary
results indicate higher MMP activity in tumor tissue vs normal tissue and increased MMP activity in
stiffer hydrogels. A better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of the tumor microenvironment
will help lead to more effective cancer therapeutics.
Category: Engineering
Title: Evaluation of the effects of molybdenum on sulfur deposition in iron-based oxygen carriers for coal
direct chemical looping processes
Student Presenter: Blaise Kimmel
Faculty Advisor: Fan, Liang-Shih
Abstract: Increasing demand of energy and global warming creates a challenging balancing case for fossil
fuel based power generation plants. While mature carbon capture technology is already developed, the
technology is often burdened with significant economic penalties. Coal direct chemical looping (CDCL) is
an oxy-combustion process at The Ohio State University that successfully utilizes a counter-current
moving bed and iron-based metal oxide oxygen carriers to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) without
incurring heavy costs. However, iron-based metal oxides in the CDCL processes are susceptible to the
formation of iron-sulfide (Fe-S) bonds, due to the presence of sulfur from coal. Sulfur deposition is
known to decrease the reactivity of oxygen carriers and reduce metal carrier performance. In this study,
molybdenum was investigated for its characteristics that preferentially enhance the adsorption of sulfur
when compared with iron-oxide. The goal of this study was to explore the effects of sulfur deposition
with varying mixed metal-oxide concentrations. Thermogravimetric (TGA) experiments were studied at
temperatures of 700ºC, 800ºC, and 900ºC with incremental iron-molybdenum ratios
of binary powder mixtures. A 1:20 mixed volumetric ratio of hydrogen to 500-ppm hydrogen sulfide
gases was utilized to reduce the binary mixture while encouraging sulfur deposition. X-Ray Powder
Diffraction (XRD) was employed to qualitatively analyze the formation of both molybdenum-sulfide and
iron-sulfide bonds. Experiments were conducted to assess the ability for molybdenum to selectively
inhibit sulfur deposition on iron in the binary mixture. Although further testing is necessary to scale up
the experiment, molybdenum has shown promise in slowing the formation of iron-sulfide bonds in CDCL
processes. Enhancement of environmentally friendly combustion processes may allow for a lessened
impact of fossil fuels and ultimately a more efficient utilization of coal-derived energy.
Category: Engineering
Title: Effect of elastic tensile strain on thermoelectric voltage generation in magnetostrictive materials
Student Presenter: Alexander Koenig
Faculty Advisor: Myers, Roberto
Abstract: Waste heat recovery (WHR) is an area of research that aims to increase efficiency in electrical
power generation and to reduce reliance on carbon-producing fuels. One approach to recovering the
energy in wasted heat involves utilizing thermoelectric devices that generate an electrical current in the
presence of a temperature gradient. This effect is known as the Seebeck effect and is observed in both
metals and semiconductors. Currently, semiconductors are almost exclusively used in thermoelectric
devices due to the larger magnitude of the effect, however they are expensive and difficult to integrate
into engines and heat exchangers for WHR. This work aims to optimize the power generation in
thermoelectric metal alloys that are more suitable for WHR. We hypothesize that the coupling of
magnetism with heat in magnetostrictive materials will enable an applied elastic strain to enhance the
thermoelectric effect. In this study, thermoelectric voltage in magnetostrictive iron-nickel dogbone
samples is measured under elastic strain. An apparatus capable of establishing and monitoring the
temperature gradient evolution and voltage generation within a load frame has been developed and
was successful in measuring the Seebeck voltage of an iron sample. The research is entering the next
phase, where iron-nickel samples will be tested in the setup under an applied strain. The result of this
study will provide insight on the effect of strain on Seebeck voltage and on metal thermoelectric alloys
in the pursuit of sustainable energy.
Category: Engineering
Title: Directing the self-assembly of multiple DNA nanostructures in a single reaction
Student Presenter: Vasiliki Kolliopoulos
Faculty Advisor: Castro, Carlos
Abstract: DNA origami is a programmable self-assembly technique that combines a single-stranded DNA
template, called a "scaffold," with hundreds of custom DNA strands, called "staples," to fabricate
nanostructures in a bottom-up assembly process. These nanostructures are designed with
unprecedented geometric precision and have promise for applications in cancer therapeutics,
biosensors, nanorobotics and more. Despite these promising applications, the DNA origami self-
assembly process is not well-understood, and only a few studies have explored detailed folding
pathways and mechanisms. In addition, many applications require the higher order assembly of multiple
structures, which is currently carried out in a multi-step assembly processes that leads to inefficient
formation of the multi-structure assembly. The aim of this work is to study the competitive self-
assembly of simultaneously folding two or more unique structures as a means to study detailed folding
mechanisms and pathways and to establish methods for the efficient assembly of complex higher order
assemblies. We tested the possibility of folding two structures with similar but distinguishable geometry,
in the same folding reaction where the staples for both structures compete for the same scaffold, and
we explored the effect of adjusting the staple concentration of each structure during folding. Knowing
one of the two structures is more energetically favorable, we chose to keep its concentration constant
while varying the concentration of the least favorable structure. By adjusting the staple concentrations
we can tip the balance toward formation of either structure and adjust relative yields. Interestingly, we
find that chimeras that form over a short timescale appear to revert to well-folded structures over long
time periods. These findings establish a foundation to assemble complex multi-structure assemblies in
one step, and this work advances the field of nanomanufacturing by establishing thermodynamic and
kinetic principles for the controllable and scalable self-assembly of an entire fleet of nanostructures
simultaneously.
Category: Engineering
Title: Refining freeway car-following models using high resolution vehicle data
Student Presenter: Sili Kong
Faculty Advisor: Coifman, Benjamin
Abstract: Car following theory seeks to model how drivers behave in congested traffic, but for the past
60 years, these conditions have been difficult to study empirically due to the to achieve due to the fine
precision of inter-vehicle spacing necessary compared to the large distance traveled per second. The
existing car following models assume a driver only responds to vehicles that are in his/her own lane.
Recent work by our group used point detectors to infer that there is a dependency on traffic conditions
in the adjacent lane; however, the point detectors can only show trends in aggregate (i.e., a finding
based on macroscopic data). The macroscopic data showed that as adjacent lanes travel slower that
drivers become more "conservative" (have a lower speed at given spacing). My research seeks to find
supporting evidence on the microscopic scale using data collected from a probe vehicle instrumented
with sensors similar to those used on autonomous vehicles to monitor the ambient traffic around the
probe. The research has focused on the speed-spacing relationship. Generally, drivers will exhibit
counter-clockwise trends in the speed spacing relationship- accelerating as spacing gets larger and
decelerating when spacing gets smaller. If a driver becomes more conservative, as predicted by the
macroscopic findings, then they should simultaneously move to a longer spacing while they are
decelerating, i.e., exhibit a clockwise progression in the speed-spacing plane. Generally, these events are
rare, requiring a large differential between adjacent lane speeds. So far, several candidate events have
been identified in the microscopic data, with in depth study of these events on-going
Category: Engineering
Title: Stimuli-responsive assembly of hierarchical DNA nanomaterials
Student Presenter: Anjelica Kucinic
Faculty Advisor: Castro, Carlos
Abstract: DNA origami is an emerging nanotechnology for fabrication of nanostructures with promising
applications in biosensing, drug delivery, and nanomanufacturing. This approach uses hundreds of
oligonucleotides (short pieces of single-stranded DNA, ssDNA) to fold a long ssDNA "scaffold" strand into
precisely designed nanoscale 3D geometries. Recent advances have enabled the design of complex
structures and actuated dynamic devices; however, the ability to design nanomaterials that respond to
cues in their local environment to carry out a complex function remains a challenge. This work seeks to
develop a framework for stimuli-responsive DNA material assembly based on dynamic hinge devices
with "cryptic" or hidden binding sites that are initially occluded. Our DNA hinge device consists of two
arms, which are bundles of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), connected by flexible ssDNA connections.
The binding sites are on the internal side of each arm of the hinge nanostructure; hence, these sites only
become accessible for material assembly after the hinges are opened. The hinge can be designed to
open in response to specific trigger molecules using DNA aptamers. Once hinges are triggered to open,
binding between hinges is designed so they can assemble into a staggered geometry inspired by the
"brick and mortar" assembly of nacre, which is known to exhibit extraordinary mechanical properties.
Preliminary results include the design, folding, and characterization of the structure via gel
electrophoresis and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Effective closing of the device was also
confirmed via TEM. Our current work focuses on optimizing the triggering and higher order assembly
through strand displacement and polymerization. Future work includes using the RNA aptamer Macugen
to detect the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-165) responsible for Macular Degeneration in the
eye. Ultimately this type of stimuli-responsive material assembly system could be used in biosensing,
smart materials, therapeutics, or wound healing applications.
Category: Engineering
Title: Engineering out systematic oppression: disenfranchisement, discrimination, and defensible
methods for apportionment and allocation of election resources
Student Presenter: Jeremiah Lawson
Faculty Advisor: Allen, Theodore
Abstract: It has been statistically demonstrated that long lines at polling stations deter potential voters.
This research aims to demonstrate the use of optimization and simulation methods and software to
assist in the allocation of election resources. Voting resources typically are defined as voting machines,
poll workers, or ballot printers, depending on context. Legislation, and the political system, can have a
significant impact on whether potential voters succeed in casting their vote. For example, voter
identification laws, early voting and mail-in voting policies have significant effects on voter participation.
Historical examples of disenfranchisement, such as poll taxes and literacy tests, have been a barrier to
access. Contemporary analyses have shown that parameters like issue count, polling location, and, as
stated, election resource allocation, also contribute to the success or failure of any given election system
for a given citizen. I investigate data on some specific scenarios of the 2016 presidential election to show
that allocation simulation software was effective for the Franklin County Board of Elections. We hope
these results can serve as a benchmark for election officials beyond the state of Ohio and can be
implemented for future use, where appropriate.
Category: Engineering
Title: Mitigating impacts of acid mine drainage from legacy mining through secondary coal mining and
reclamation
Student Presenter: Bill Lazar
Faculty Advisor: Butalia, Tarunjit
Abstract: Coal secondary mining or remining is the mining of abandoned surface mine lands,
underground mine lands, and coal refuse piles existing prior to the Surface Mining Control and
Reclamation Act (SMCRA) in 1977. Remining operations remove acid-forming materials and extract coal
from selected areas. During remining, many of the problems associated with abandoned mine lands
(AML), such as acid mine drainage (AMD), dangerous highwalls, and daylighting of underground mines
can be corrected without the use of public funds. This study focuses on the Moxahala and Rush Creek
watersheds located in Perry and Muskingum County in southeast Ohio. The overall objective of this
study is to advance technologies and regulatory policies to mitigate AMD by collaborating with Ohio coal
mine operators and regulatory authorities to increase secondary coal recovery from discounted and
often ignored coal reserves. A Geographical Information System (GIS) served as the primary tool to
collect and analyze data on remaining and reminded highwalls, spoil pits, and current water quality in
local streams. Aerial photography from 1975 was used to collect information on features present during
that time and served as a historical benchmark prior to reclamation activities in the area. Aerial
photography from 2014 was used to collect the same information and served as a post remining
comparison. In addition to these, mining permit boundaries, AML project boundaries, and historic and
recent water quality data were implemented in GIS. Analysis of the features within these watersheds is
still ongoing and detailed quantitative results are soon to come. Data collection thus far shows progress
in the removal of dangerous highwalls and pits and in the improvement of water quality. This enforces
the fact that remining is making a difference on the well-being and restoration of watersheds impacted
by legacy mining during an era of lax regulation.
Category: Engineering
Title: Induction of magnetism by patterned deposition of iron oxide nanoparticles onto graphene
Student Presenter: Jong Ho Lee
Faculty Advisor: Winter, Jessica
Abstract: Nanoparticles exhibit unique properties because of their small size and have applications in
optical, electronical, and magnetic devices. Further, interfacing nanoparticles with two dimensional (2D)
surfaces could reveal novel and synergistic properties with potential to enhance their applications in
these fields. However, practical application of these composites requires controlled, scalable processes
for integration of nanoparticles with higher order constructs. Therefore, this research aims to develop
facile and controlled methods to generate nanoparticle-2D material composites. Emergent properties at
their interfaces are also be evaluated. SPION (superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle)- graphene
interfaces are employed as a representative system. Graphene is a monolayer of graphite with excellent
electrical and thermal properties, but it is diamagnetic, that is, it lacks intrinsic magnetic ordering.
Magnetic ordering in graphene can be exploited for spintronic applications. To conserve its native
electronic properties, proximity based approaches for inducing magnetism in graphene are explored.
Thus, SPIONs are used to induce local magnetism in graphene, which could undergo long range
manipulation by ordered deposition of particles. Initially, SPIONs were deposited by direct deposition,
controlled dipping, and spin coating to study random deposition and solvent effects. To generate
ordered structures, SPIONs were encapsulated in micelles that can self assemble nanoparticles on
surfaces. Composite topography was analyzed using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Properties of
SPIONs were determined through Transmission electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectroscopy
(XPS) and SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device) analysis. Magnetic properties of these
composites are also being evaluated via Hall measurement to detect proximity induced effects. These
techniques could be used for other types of nanoparticles and 2D surfaces to induce novel properties.
Category: Engineering
Title: Flow induced corrosion
Student Presenter: Amanda Leong
Faculty Advisor: Zhang, Jinsuo
Abstract: Aluminum corrosion in the containment of nuclear reactor may have detrimental effects on
the performance of the emergency-core-cooling system. In a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA), an
Emergency Core Cooling System (ECCS) is initiated to safely shut down the operation of a nuclear power
plant. Formation of precipitates due to aluminum corrosion may obstruct the flow of solution through
the sump screens while the solution is re-circulated in the nuclear core through ECCS. Flow-rate
influences the aluminum corrosion as it varies at different locations and operations in a nuclear
containment. Therefore, understanding the effects of flow on aluminum corrosion is significant. This
research project mainly focuses on the flow dependent corrosion of aluminum in a borate buffer
solution at different flow rates. Corrosion experiments will be conducted utilizing a three-electrode
electrochemical system in a glass cell. The in-situ changes of thickness and porosity of the film at
different flow rates can be monitored by the electrochemical impedance spectrometry measurements,
which can also provide useful information about the kinetics of electrode reaction and the adsorption of
species aluminum surface. Potentiodynamic polarization curves can be used to obtain the corrosion
rate, and investigate the kinetics of the occurring anodic and cathodic reactions on the aluminum
surface at different flow rates. Results have shown that it is possible to develop velocity dependent
correlations for aluminum corrosion which brings importance to understanding the overall precipitation
formation following a loss of coolant accident.
Category: Engineering
Title: Simulation of an iron-based three-reactor chemical looping gasification process for production of
syngas from coal
Student Presenter: Chunyi Li
Faculty Advisor: Fan, Liang-Shih
Abstract: As an essential energy source, coal accounts for 40% of the worldwide power generation from
combustion of fossil fuels. Coal gasification provides an alternative to the traditional pulverized coal (PC)
combustion for power generation with higher thermal efficiency. In order to further improve and
economize the coal gasification process, a novel chemical looping gasification (CLG) technology was
developed at OSU. Compared with a conventional coal gasification processes, CLG further increases the
syngas yield and purity, reduces capital cost by eliminating the air separation unit and gasifier, and
lowers pollutant emissions. In this research, the iron-based three-reactor chemical looping coal
gasification process is investigated. This chemical looping technology utilizes a composite metal oxide as
the oxygen carrier circulating in three separate reactors to convert coal into high quality syngas, which is
then combusted to generate electricity in a gas-steam turbine combined cycle. ASPEN PLUS is used to
investigate the thermodynamic equilibria of the iron-oxygen-hydrogen, and the iron-oxygen-carbon
systems. Operating conditions, such as oxygen carrier composition, temperature, steam input in the
reducer and oxidizer, and air input in the combustor, are varied to achieve the maximum syngas
conversion for an auto-thermal operation. Preliminary results of the CLG system suggest a significant
increase of 11.6-45.1% in syngas yield per unit amount of coal compared to conventional processes.
Next, the three-reactor system will be modified to achieve full oxidization of coal in the reducer,
producing a high purity H2 stream from the oxidizer. The simulation results will provide insights of
thermodynamic trends of the CLG process for further reactor design and operation.
Category: Engineering
Title: Shaping sound and silence: a study of foldable, origami-inspired transducer arrays for guiding
acoustic wave energy
Student Presenter: Danielle Lynd
Faculty Advisor: Harne, Ryan
Abstract: Conventionally, arrays of acoustic transducers, like microphones or speakers fixed in position,
are used to guide acoustic energy through active phase delays and amplitude differences between the
individual transducers. These acoustic arrays are called beamformers, and they are used in numerous
applications including ultrasonic imaging, cellphone communications, and community alert systems.
Conventional beamformers are challenged in their ease of implementation, computational complexity,
and portability due to the number of transducers that are required to achieve substantial acoustic
energy steering. To explore a means to bypass such challenges, this research investigates origami-
inspired acoustic arrays that leverage the large shape change of foldable origami patterns for simple and
large control of acoustic wave energy: a new concept termed acoustic beamfolding. This concept has
distinct advantages over conventional beamformers, including decreased computational complexity,
increased portability, and ease of implementation. This research seeks to characterize how foldable
tessellated arrays and folding behaviors affect the guiding of acoustic energy. First, various origami
patterns are chosen as bases for the arrays, as inspired by existing origami patterns in art and research
literature or as designed through computational optimizers. These origami patterns are then scored into
plastic sheets, while piezoelectric actuation materials are bonded to the resulting scored sheets. Driving
the piezoelectric materials with electrical signals causes the arrays to radiate sound. After experimental
characterization and computational study of the predicted radiated sound, the influences of different
designs and folding behaviors on the means to guide acoustic energy are uncovered. The results show
that acoustic beamfolding is a new idea to shape sound and silence, and may find application in
biomedical imaging, communications, and other contexts where conventional beamformers are in use.
Category: Engineering
Title: Human rib structural stiffness is not predictable by simplified global geometry
Student Presenter: Brianna Marselle
Faculty Advisor: Agnew, Amanda
Abstract: Thoracic injuries are extremely common, especially in motor vehicle crashes. The most
frequent injuries to the thorax are rib fractures. Geometric and material properties are known to
influence biomechanical responses of ribs. Previous studies have attempted to relate structural stiffness
to the global geometry of the rib. In particular, Holcombe et al. (2016) established a six parameter shape
model based on computed tomography scans of ribs from live adult subjects. They concluded that the
complex geometry of the rib could be simplified to only two parameters to successfully predict a
theoretical structural stiffness: overall end-to-end span length (Sx) and y-distance to the peak of the rib
(YPK). The objective of this study was to test the results of Holcombe et al.'s exercise utilizing real
experimental data. Two-hundred sixty whole human ribs were impacted in a 2D dynamic
anteroposterior bending test, and structural stiffness was calculated as the slope of the elastic portion of
the Force-Displacement curve. Sx and YPK were measured in ImageJ from still photos. Neither Sx or YPK
were able to predict rib stiffness with statistical significance (p = 0.44 and 0.08, respectively).
Furthermore, Sx could only explain 0.2% of the variance in stiffness, and YPK could only explain 1.2% of
the variance in stiffness. These findings do not support the conclusions of the geometric shape model
proposed by Holcombe et al. (2016), namely that simplified global geometry parameters alone can
predict realistic rib stiffness. Additionally, this research highlights the need to consider more
complicated models incorporating global geometry, as well as cross-sectional geometry and material
properties into explanatory models focused on rib biomechanical response. Ultimately, this information
can inform computational human body models to assess fracture risk in vehicle occupants.
Category: Engineering
Title: An experimental investigation of spin power losses of a turbofan gearbox
Student Presenter: Kyler McDonald
Faculty Advisor: Kahraman, Ahmet
Abstract: Planetary gear sets are commonly used in automotive, industrial and aerospace gearbox and
transmission applications as they provide certain advantages over their counter-shaft alternatives. Any
planetary gear set design must meet multiple requirements of size, weight, noise, load carrying capacity,
fatigue life, noise, and efficiency. Planetary gear set efficiency is dictated by two classes of power losses.
One class includes load dependent power losses that are induced by friction of contact interfaces and
they can be predicted using physics-based models. The other class includes load independent losses that
are due to interactions of the fluid with rotating gear components. These spin losses are transmission
specific and become significant at elevated speeds as in aerospace applications. This experimental study
aims at measurement of spin losses of a jet engine turbofan gearbox under realistic speed and
temperature and lubricant flowrate conditions. A dynamometer set-up that can operate a turbofan
gearbox at speeds up to 10,000 rpm will be developed. The set-up will be incorporated with a forced
lubrication system for delivery of lubricant to desired locations at specified flowrates. Torque provided
to the gearbox will be measured as a function of rotational speed to determine the spin losses of the
gearbox. Additional tests will be performed with subsets of the gearbox to quantify the contributions of
spin power loss components such as drag and gear mesh pocketing.
Category: Engineering
Title: Utilizing technology to increase airport efficiency
Student Presenter: Catherine McNutt
Faculty Advisor: Young, Seth
Abstract: How can airports utilize available and/or new technology in order to maximize efficiency? This
group plans to research how technology can be incorporated into all aspects of an airport including, but
not limited to, ticketing, checking baggage, and loading/unloading cargo. The group plans to research
how the postal service uses devices to track every location of a package, and find ways to implement it
within airports around the country. The plan is to also research, and implement, how the postal service
handles weighing and checking packages at home so they are immediately ready for pick up. The group
will also research the efficiency of implementing a baggage check-in checkpoint in the parking lot, and
using newer technologies to then transport the bags to the aircraft. Currently, most airline companies
utilize online check-in and ticketing processes, the group believes that the baggage claim process should
be equally as automated at the other places.
Category: Engineering
Title: The automated trolley problem
Student Presenter: Kurt Metz
Faculty Advisor: D'Arms, Justin
Abstract: Automated cars will soon be a viable option for personal use. Although it is reasonable to
expect that they will be involved in significantly fewer traffic accidents on average than other cars,
automated cars will not be able to prevent all crashes. This raises the issue of what actions an
automated car should take in various dangerous situations. Several proposals have been advanced in
the growing literature on this issue. The first option is the utilitarian approach, which means that the car
will always perform the action that will result in the least harm. While this approach saves the most lives
in each case, research shows that many consumers would not purchase an automated car that would
possibly choose to sacrifice the driver's life. If people don't buy automated cars, then a large population
of people will continue to die in human-caused traffic accidents. Another option is the self-preserving
approach, in which automated cars would protect the occupants' lives over all else in every situation.
This approach may lead to higher use of automated cars, which would save many lives overall. However,
it is easily criticized as selfish and unethical because there is a possibility of crashes in which several
people die instead of one person, and in which innocent pedestrians die instead of those who assumed
the risks of accidents by taking to the road. The third option is to have automated cars randomly decide
whom to save in a crash scenario in order to prevent bias or guilt. However, this approach saves fewer
lives than the utilitarian approach while potentially being as morally objectionable as the self-preserving
approach because more lives could be saved. The purpose of this project is to present a new option that
improves upon the utilitarian approach using a methodology of traditional philosophical analytical
reasoning, informed by factual premises from social psychology and engineering.
Category: Engineering
Title: Interactive analysis of aviation data
Student Presenter: Nicholas Meyer
Faculty Advisor: Omidvar, Behrooz
Abstract: Visualizing data is necessary for human experts to parse and draw conclusions from large and
unruly datasets. For the spatial-temporal data that flying creates, visualizations must grab data points
from a very large database and plot them on a map quickly, and then give users the power to
manipulate the data in order to answer any questions they deem pertinent. Currently available
technologies cannot work with the large data needed and maintain the desired sub-second speeds for
visualizing and manipulating data. This research strives to create efficient methods of visualizing flight
data so that aviation experts can rapidly solve problems in their field. These methods can also be
immediately applied to more general spatial-temporal data. The new platform stores data containing
latitude, longitude, altitude, time, departure airport, etc. in a PSQL database with proper indexing and
pre-computations to ensure fast querying. A python server is set up as the backend to communicate
between the database and users' machines. The front end is a Javascript webapp which users
interact with and which creates visualizations using the D3, Crossfilter, and Leaflet Javascript libraries as
well as custom functionality. The resulting platform can create powerful and interactive visualizations in
seconds. Future work can make it faster and give users more tools to extract information from their
data. The results show that the analysis of data which all aviation companies perform when creating
flight plans can be improved; that this new technology can save manpower and money and lead to a
better experience for customers.
Category: Engineering
Title: Compliant gripping mechanism for anchoring and mobility in microgravity and extreme terrain
Student Presenter: Collin Mikol
Faculty Advisor: Su, Haijun
Abstract: One major limitation of previous NASA missions in exploring asteroids, comets, and planetary
surfaces such as Mars has been the inability to properly navigate these terrains with conventional
mobility methods. Traditional land rovers cannot maneuver well in extreme space environments with
microgravity conditions because of the harsh terrain and very low escape velocities on smaller bodies.
Land rovers are also incapable of traversing steep crater walls and cliffs, which limits the rover's ability
to reach sites of greater scientific interest. Current drawbacks of space mobility technology lead to the
opportunity to develop new, unique robots that have the ability for vertical climbing and locomotion in
microgravity environments. My research focuses on developing a new technology that utilizes an array
of small microspine grippers to provide the required forces to latch onto various types of rock
formations. These grippers would increase a robot's ability to effectively travel in a microgravity
environment and would allow rovers to climb vertical rock faces efficiently. My research objectives will
be to design, optimize, prototype, and test a new concept design for a compliant mechanism microspine
gripper to achieve higher load sharing capabilities with the constraints of minimizing the overall area
and stresses created within the design itself. Preliminary results show that compliant mechanism use
can significantly reduce the size of the microspine mechanism while still achieving similar stiffness
requirements for increased load sharing. This ensures that the microspines will not fail to grasp rock in
critical NASA missions. This research could ultimately lead to climbing robots that would possess a
greater capability of harsh terrain and microgravity exploration with increased reliability.
Category: Engineering
Title: Indirect magnetic force microscopy
Student Presenter: Rachel Novinc
Faculty Advisor: Agarwal, Gunjan
Abstract: Detection of magnetic nanoparticles holds widespread relevance in biosensing applications.
Additionally, several neurodegenerative diseases and cardiovascular pathologies are characterized by
iron-rich deposits in their plaques which are understood to be superparamagnetic in nature. Detection
of iron deposits by exploiting their magnetic signals can serve as a label-free tool in histology. In earlier
work, we had demonstrated how the atomic force microscopy (AFM) based technique, magnetic force
microscopy (MFM), can map iron oxide nanoparticles in-vitro and in tissue sections. MFM studies are
typically performed using direct MFM (D-MFM), where an MFM probe makes two passes over the
sample, first touching the sample to obtain the topography and then at various lift heights above the
sample to identify magnetic interactions between the sample and probe. D-MFM is time consuming and
can result in probe contamination. The goal of this research was to develop an indirect MFM (ID-MFM)
technique with an ultrathin barrier between the sample and probe. Here, multiple passes over the
sample are not needed, making it a high-throughput and ultrastructural magnetic mapping technique.
50nm thick silicon nitride windows commercially available for transmission electron microscopy were
used as the barrier. Fluorescently labeled carboxyl magnetic particles (2mm in diameter) were
immobilized on one side of the window and imaged on the other using an MFM tip in the dynamic mode
of AFM. As a control, a non-magnetic AFM probe was also used. Results indicate that the MFM probe
could detect the magnetic interaction between the particles and probe despite the presence of the
silicon-nitride barrier, whereas an AFM probe could not. As another control, non-magnetic particles
exhibited a negligible signal in ID-MFM. The presence of particles was verified using fluorescence
microscopy. ID-MFM can thus serve as a multimodal and ultrastructural technique that could potentially
be used to map iron in histological samples.
Category: Engineering
Title: Investigation of imogolite nanotubes as a catalyst for biomass conversion
Student Presenter: Nate Olson
Faculty Advisor: Brunelli, Nicholas
Abstract: Rising energy costs and concerns regarding climate change necessitate the development of
efficient and sustainable processes for the production of fuels and chemicals. Catalysts are an attractive
solution to minimize the cost and environmental impact of these processes. One important process is
biomass conversion, which can be employed to produce 5-hydroxymethyfurfual (HMF). HMF is a
valuable intermediate for the sustainable production of biofuels, plastics, and valuable chemicals. It is
produced by the cascade reaction of glucose to fructose to HMF. Several intriguing catalysts for the
isomerization of glucose to fructose have been identified, including immobilized enzymes, triethylamine,
and zeolites. While these catalysts have sparked immense interest in this area, further research is
necessary to identify novel catalysts for the isomerization reaction that are cost effective and
environmentally friendly. The purpose of this research is the study of imogolite nanotubes as a catalyst
for the isomerization reaction. Imogolite nanotubes offer a highly tunable platform and the capability to
design an effective heterogeneous catalyst. The successful synthesis of imogolite nanotubes has been
confirmed. Preliminary catalytic tests on the imogolite nanotubes show promising activity for the
isomerization reaction. Further work includes the determination of the active site of imogolite that is
responsible for the catalytic activity. An opportunity to improve the selectivity of the imogolite catalyst
for fructose lies in modification of the nanotube structure and composition through changes to the
synthesis procedure. The results of preliminary tests establish that imogolite has the potential to be
applied as an effective isomerization catalyst. Through further investigation of the nature of the catalytic
activity, imogolite could be a novel catalyst that aids in the efficient, eco-friendly, and sustainable
production of fuels and chemicals from biomass.
Category: Engineering
Title: Implementation of LiDAR to detect critical take-off distance based on different weather conditions
at The Ohio State University Airport (KOSU)
Student Presenter: Willson Pang
Faculty Advisor: Young, Seth
Abstract: LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of
a pulsed laser to measure ranges in variable. Our research question is how this technology can be
implemented to improve runway traffic efficiency and safety regardless of weather conditions. A LIDAR
instrument normally include a laser, a scanner, and a specialized GPS receiver. The LiDAR technology,
would allow us to measure and provide the safest takeoff distance for each respective aircraft for any
different weather conditions of the airport during its takeoff. Not only that, this takeoff distance that we
obtained can also be used to compare the standard runway length required by Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA). Naturally, this research will also focus on the takeoff behavior of an aircraft for a
dry and wet runway.As for our methodology, six LiDAR will be placed into three groups and located in
three different locations on the runway. As the sensor only have a sensing radius of 100m, we think that
it is beneficial to the team to increase the scope of view for different takeoff distance (Smaller airplane
will require shorter runway distance compare to bigger airplane). Each pair of sensors will be faced
towards different directions (one towards vertical axis and one towards horizontal axis). The horizontal
axis sensor will then be used to detect the movement of aircraft before takeoff and the vertical axis
sensor will be used to cover largest area of the runway. The results of our project could help ensure
safer takeoffs and increase the runway efficiency of airports, which saves a lot of time and money. In the
future, the LiDAR could potentially change the air traffic control system of KOSU and other airports.
Category: Engineering
Title: DNA origami nano-caliper to probe nucleosome dynamics
Student Presenter: Rutva Patel
Faculty Advisor: Castro, Carlos
Abstract: Nucleosomes, the structural packing units of genomic DNA that makes up chromosomes,
consist of DNA wrapped around a protein core. The dynamic structural rearrangements of nucleosome
assemblies allow for the suppression or activation of genes. Previous studies have provided extensive
insight into the dynamics of single nucleosomes. In contrast, little is understood about the dynamics of
larger assemblies that include several nucleosomes, largely because there are no tools that effectively
probe structural dynamics at this length scale of ~10-100's of nanometers, which is highly relevant for
gene regulation. Our group recently developed a DNA based nano-caliper capable of measuring the size
and conformational changes of single nucleosomes. The original nano-caliper consists of a hinge
structure with 70nm arms. To enable study of larger nucleosomes assemblies up to ~200nm in size,
which corresponds to arrays of 12-17 nucleosomes, we designed and optimized the assembly of an
extended hinge structure with ~200 nm long arms. The extended hinge consists of a hierarchical
assembly of three structures, which are individual folded and purified and then combined to form larger
structure. We are currently optimizing the integration of nucleosome arrays to the ends of the fully
assembled extended nano-caliper. We aim to maximize the polymerization efficiency of nanostructures
while maintaining conditions that both provide structure stability and allow for future experiments with
biological samples where we plan to bind the nano-caliper to full chromosomes extracted from cells
using antibodies added to the hinge arms to attach to specific sites of interest. Preliminary results show
promise of creating a tool to probe nucleosome array dynamics and other dynamics spanning structures
hundreds of nanometers long. More broadly, this research will provide insight into chromatin structural
dynamics on the scale over which gene regulation occurs.
Category: Engineering
Title: Selective and sustainable conversion of glucose to fructose
Student Presenter: Lagnajit Pattanaik
Faculty Advisor: Brunelli, Nicholas
Abstract: Sustainable biomass conversion strategies require high yields for the isomerization reaction of
glucose to fructose. The key challenge for this reaction is achieving high selectivity towards fructose
using inexpensive catalytic materials. Previous studies have shown the effectiveness of this reaction
using tin-containing catalysts (Sn-BEA zeolite) and homogeneous organic bases (triethylamine), but
these catalysts are either expensive to synthesize or require energy-intensive downstream separation
processes. By functionalizing a mesoporous silica material with a triethylamine analogue, we will
combine aspects of these studies to create an improved heterogeneous catalyst to convert glucose to
fructose. Preliminary results have been promising but have highlighted important acid-base interactions
between the catalyst surface and active site; namely, the acidic surface silanols may be quenching the
nitrogen base, hindering its ability to perform catalysis. By shortening the linker length between the
catalyst surface and the active site nitrogen, the mobility of the triethylamine analogue was restricted
and the negative acid-base effect was mitigated. Results also show significant effects of active site
density on catalyst activity, but further investigation is necessary to understand these effects and apply
them to the synthesized catalyst. The final product will allow for a sustainable, cost-effective, and eco-
friendly method to selectively convert glucose to fructose.
Category: Engineering
Title: Muscular co-contraction during stair-climbing before and after a total knee arthroplasty
Student Presenter: Nicholas Pelz
Faculty Advisor: Siston, Robert
Abstract: Co-contraction is the simultaneous activation of opposing muscle pairs around a joint, and it
frequently occurs during activities such as walking and stair-climbing. While all individuals co-contract
their muscles to some extent, patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), a disease characterized by
degradation of articular cartilage, exhibit elevated levels of co-contraction to cope with OA-associated
knee instability. While a total knee arthroplasty (TKA), the end stage treatment of OA, can help alleviate
pain and restore function, suboptimal outcomes such as muscle weakness and difficulty climbing stairs
are common. Elevated levels of co-contraction can persist even after a TKA and are believed to be
correlated with post-operative muscle weakness and difficulty climbing stairs. Therefore, the purposes
of this study were to determine if co-contraction remains during stair-climbing after a TKA, if this
excessive co-contraction has negative or positive effects on an individual's stair-climbing ability, and if
the surgical procedure has any contribution to post-operative changes in co-contraction. Motion capture
and muscle activation data from 32 subjects were processed and analyzed pre-and post-operatively to
calculate co-contraction of the medial and lateral quadriceps and hamstrings (MQH/LQH) and the
medial and lateral quadriceps and calf muscles (MQG/LQG) during stair-climbing. Clinical surveys and
functional tests were collected pre-and post-operatively, along with joint laxity and knee alignment data
intra-operatively. A paired t-test was used to determine if the post-operative changes in co-contraction
for each muscle group were statistically significant. Preliminary results (n=6) show that only the MQH
has a significant difference in co-contraction pre-to-post-operatively during stair ascent (p
Category: Engineering
Title: Apohemoglobin quantification and analysis
Student Presenter: Ivan Pires
Faculty Advisor: Palmer, Andre
Abstract: Apohemoglobin (apoHb) is produced by removing heme from the oxygen storage and
transport protein hemoglobin (Hb). ApoHb can function as a drug carrier and heme scavenger.
Unfortunately, it is highly unstable in aqueous solution. Thus, total protein quantification methods such
as UV-visible spectroscopy or colorimetric protein assays do not measure the activity of apoHb.
Consequently, this protein's high affinity for heme and spectrophotometric changes derived from heme
incorporation into apoHb justify heme based titration as a promising technique to quantify apoHb
activity. However, hematin, the soluble form of hemin, aggregates in aqueous solution leading to
inaccurate active apoHb measurements. Here we used dicyanohemin, a stable monomeric species in
aqueous solution, as a probe for the precise and accurate measurement of apoHb activity. The
equilibrium absorbance at 420 nm of a fixed concentration apoHb solution with increasing
concentration of dicyanohemin was measured using a multi-well plate reader. A 420 nm absorbance
versus dicyanohemin concentration plot was made and the fitted lines intersection point was used to
quantify the activity of apoHb. A data reduction algorithm was used to remove outliers and determine
the best-fit lines. The precision of the procedure was tested by varying the apoHb concentration and the
accuracy was analyzed using a spectral deconvolution algorithm. The effect of contaminants such as
heme-binding proteins and apoHb precipitates was also tested. Furthermore, an analysis of the
biophysical properties of reconstituted Hb was performed to confirm apoHb activity.​ The precision
analysis results showed a 0.4% relative standard deviation from the stock apoHb concentration. Spectral
deconvolution confirmed the heme saturation point. Additionally, contaminants did not significantly
alter the results of the heme binding assay and the reconstituted Hb demonstrated native Hb
characteristics. This assay will assist with future drug and heme encapsulation studies by assessing the
number of available active apoHb binding sites.
Category: Engineering
Title: Ventilation and microbial communities in LEED and non-LEED certified buildings
Student Presenter: Quentin Platt
Faculty Advisor: Dannemiller, Karen
Abstract: For over a decade, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has strived to improve building
efficiency and indoor environmental quality around the world through its Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED)-certification program. Attempts to maximize energy efficiency in LEED-
certification projects may be in conflict with indoor air quality with regards to microbial communities if
building designs employ lower ventilation rates in order to reduce energy demand. However, the
influence of LEED certification on indoor microbial communities is largely unknown. The aim of this
study is to investigate the effects that LEED design principles have on indoor microbial communities. We
collected carpet dust and suspended air dust at six paired LEED and non-LEED buildings, extracted DNA
and then analyzed the samples by qPCR and high-throughput DNA sequencing. We will analyze
sequencing results and compare to air exchange rates, temperature, relative humidity and building
occupancy. Preliminary data indicate that both air exchange rates and bacterial concentrations are not
substantially different between similar LEED and non-LEED buildings. Sequencing results will be used to
determine the diversities of the microbial communities along with the similarity of communities in
carpet dust with that of indoor and representative outdoor air. This information will help to assess the
overall environmental quality within these buildings with regard to their microbiomes and associated
occupant health effects. A better understanding of this issue could provide meaningful information for
the improvement of LEED building design and LEED certification requirements.
Category: Engineering
Title: DNA origami stability for implementation in physiological environments
Student Presenter: Zachary Power
Faculty Advisor: Castro, Carlos
Abstract: Scaffolded DNA origami allows for the construction of custom-designed DNA nanostructures
via molecular self-assembly. Recently, DNA origami nanostructures displayed promising potential over a
wide range of biological applications such as drug delivery, biophysical measurement, and biomarker
detection. However, translating these devices to clinical or other biological applications require
thorough evaluation of DNA nanostructure structural stability under harsh physiologic conditions,
including the presence of nucleases. Previous studies revealed that DNA origami stability in the presence
of physiologic buffers varies from tens of minutes to several hours depending on the structure design
and specific buffer conditions. However, the relationship between DNA nanostructure physiological
stability and optimal design parameters remains poorly understood. Therefore, the objective of the
current study is to evaluate how different structural characteristics of DNA nanostructures affects
stability under a range of physiological conditions, including varying levels of salinity and fetal bovine
serum (FBS). Stability and degradation experiments were performed on a large panel of similar DNA
nanostructures which varied in a single parameter such as surface area, crossover frequency, lattice
cross section, scaffold routing, or number of overhangs. Structural stability of nanostructures was
monitored across varying concentrations of magnesium chloride (0-20mM) and fetal bovine serum (0%-
100%) during a 24-hour room temperature incubation period. Quantitative data was obtained using
agarose gel electrophoresis coupled with a gel intensity analysis program to monitor the long-term
stability of each structure and a spectrophotometer to collect degradation kinetics data. Results were
compiled to create an algorithm to predict the structural stability of DNA nanostructures based on their
characteristics and designing stable structures suitable for various physiologically relevant environment.
An additional goal for this work is to make a publically accessible database that DNA origami
nanostructure designers can use to create an optimal structure for any experimental conditions more
efficiently and conveniently.
Category: Engineering
Title: Biocompatibility study of monodispersed ZnO nanowires for neuronal NG108-15 cells
Student Presenter: Farhan Quadri
Faculty Advisor: Guo, Liang
Abstract: Conventional neural stimulation techniques require surgical implantation of electrodes and
can cause complications. Injectable nanomaterials are a non- or minimally invasive alternative that could
convert a wirelessly transmitted signal into localized stimuli for neural stimulation. Piezoelectric
nanomaterials were of special interest for such an application as they could convert mechanical forces
exerted by cells or wirelessly transmitted acoustic waves to localized electric fields. Semi-conducting
ZnO nanomaterials exhibit piezoelectric activity, making them an excellent candidate for stimulation
applications. Preliminary biocompatibility experiments of growing neuronal NG108-15 cells on ZnO
substrates revealed no significant effect on cell viability. In this work, the biocompatibility of
monodispersed piezoelectric ZnO nanowires are being assessed by testing their effects on neuronal
NG108-15 cell line at a series of nanowire concentrations. Their biocompatibility will initially be tested
via immunocytochemistry by determining the live/dead cells ratio and observing cell morphology. MTT
assays will be utilized to evaluate the metabolic functionality of the neurons and to determine an
optimal nanowire concentration range of biocompatibility. Determining the biocompatibility of
piezoelectric ZnO nanowires will allow future research in exploring their biomedical applications such as
in neuro-engineering.
Category: Engineering
Title: Characterizing the effects of glutaraldehyde concentration in cross-linking solution on release
kinetics of hemoglobin encapsulated in alginate hydrogels
Student Presenter: Scott Rathbun
Faculty Advisor: Palmer, Andre
Abstract: The goal of this project was to examine the effects of glutaraldehyde concentration on release
kinetics for encapsulated hemoglobin. This information could be used in future studies conducted for
the applications of these hemoglobin-alginate beads. This project started out as part of a wider scope
focused on applications of alginate combined with the work the Palmer lab does with purified
hemoglobin. It was theorized that encapsulating hemoglobin inside the beads along with insulin-
producing beta cells would increase oxygen diffusivity across the alginate membrane and increase
survivability of beta cells leading to more efficient transplantation. The alginate beads are produced
using a mixture of hemoglobin and sodium alginate solution. This mixture is then dropped from a
syringe into a cross-linking solution of a salt and glutaraldehyde mixture. Glutaraldehyde promotes
cross-linking for the beads. The beads are then given time to form, the reaction is quenched, and a
saline solution with a single bead is tested in a spectrophotometer for absorbance to determine
concentration over time. Testing is currently underway. The end results of this project will determine
the most effective concentration of glutaraldehyde, as without glutaraldehyde the beads only retain
hemoglobin for 5 hours. Too much glutaraldehyde however would kill the beta cells. The results of this
study can be used in future studies on the applications of alginate-encapsulated hemoglobin.
Category: Engineering
Title: Effects of heat treatment on poison-resistant characteristics of Pd-incorporated swellable
organically-modified silica
Student Presenter: Sushmitha Ravikumar
Faculty Advisor: Ozkan, Umit
Abstract: Groundwater contamination of chlorinated compounds has been a major concern because of
the carcinogenic consequences in affecting drinking water. The catalytic hydrodechlorination of
chlorinated compounds like trichloroethylene (TCE) to less toxic hydrocarbons offers a sustainable,
efficient, and cost effective method for decontaminating groundwater. In groundwater, catalyst
deactivation from ionic species is an on-going problem. Therefore, a newly developed swellable
organically-modified silica (SOMS) support has been used for hydrodechlorination of TCE to protect the
active sites from anions through the hydrophobic and swellable nature of SOMS. In addition, the effects
of heat treatment on the catalytic performance and poison-resistant nature of SOMS have been
investigated. Catalytic activity experiments were performed in an aqueous phase batch reactor
operating at 50 bar and 30°C for pristine and sulfide ion poisoned palladium catalysts using SOMS
support. Characterization experiments were performed through nitrogen physisorption and point-of-
zero charge experiments to analyze physiochemical properties of the catalysts. The catalytic activity and
characterization results for different heat-treated catalysts will be presented in the forum. The results of
this research project are expected to ultimately contribute to the design of cheaper, better, and
deactivation-resistant catalyst, greatly benefiting the catalytic groundwater remediation technologies.
Category: Engineering
Title: Improvement of reliability indices in a micro-grid system involving renewable generation and
energy storage
Student Presenter: Emily Reed
Faculty Advisor: Wang, Jiankang
Abstract: Integrating renewable energy sources is important to policy-makers worldwide, especially as
the depletion of traditional energy sources and the declining health of the environment continue to be
of critical concern. As the installation costs of renewable generation decrease, the incorporation of
these sources into the grid is becoming more attractive and feasible. However, in order for renewable
generation to be incorporated on a large scale, utilities must be able to guarantee that customers
receive adequate and quality power, constituting a reliable system. Thus, ensuring the reliability of a
grid system that includes unpredictable sources of generation, such as wind and solar, is studied using a
small-scale system called a micro-grid. This research also examines the effects of energy storage
systems, such as batteries, on the reliability of a micro-grid system. Energy storage can help to eliminate
or reduce the load demand that must be met by renewable generation and supply power when
renewable generation is unavailable or insufficient. A nonlinear optimization model of the problem was
developed that maximizes the reliability of the system by determining the number of critical and non-
critical loads that can be satisfied at each time step. The maximization of the number of loads is
constrained by the available generation in the system at each specific time step. Monte Carlo simulation
in MATLAB is currently being used to solve the optimization problem and analyze the results, which will
be completed prior to the Denman presentation. It is expected that the reliability indices of the system
will improve with the incorporation of energy storage into the micro-grid. This study seeks to improve
the feasibility of renewable energy sources in the grid system, thereby lowering emissions in electricity
generation.
Category: Engineering
Title: Continuous, non-invasive detection of malaria using a magnetic field
Student Presenter: Daniel Roll
Faculty Advisor: Subramaniam, Vishwanath
Abstract: Millions of people are infected with malaria annually, resulting in hundreds of thousands of
deaths. Furthermore, many oil and mining companies operate in the areas of the world where malaria is
prevalent. For these companies, it is imperative that they be able to frequently and affordably monitor
their workforce for malaria, as a single infected but asymptomatic individual can serve as a reservoir for
the parasite, leading to the spread of infection by the anopheles mosquito. Malaria can be successfully
cured if it is treated effectively, but this relies on quick diagnosis. Current methods of detecting malaria
require blood smears, microscopes and pathologists, which are not readily available in the remote areas
where malaria is endemic. Blood draws can also yield false negative results, as infected red blood cells
adhere to the walls of the capillaries and are therefore not in circulation. An improved detection method
for malaria would save lives and also save millions of dollars in terms of productivity. There is therefore
a need for development of a novel, quick, continuous, and effective method of diagnosing a malaria
infection. This research is intended to develop a method that uses an electromagnetic probe to detect
small, paramagnetic particles that the malaria parasite sequesters as a byproduct in an infected patient.
These particles, known as hemozoin, result from the consumption and chemical alteration of
hemoglobin in an infected person's red blood cells by the malaria parasite. This probe consists of two
concentric planar coils, allowing it to be placed flat on the skin of a patient anywhere where there is
significant vasculature, such as a fingertip or an earlobe, and display the presence or absence of an
infection with a red or green light. This probe will be simple to use, noninvasive, and continuously
monitor a patient for malaria.
Category: Engineering
Title: Magnetic actuation of DNA origami devices
Student Presenter: Thomas Rudibaugh
Faculty Advisor: Castro, Carlos
Abstract: In nanotechnology, 2D and 3D DNA nano-structures were greatly enabled through the
technique of DNA origami where single-stranded DNA is folded into a precise, compact geometry using
hundreds of short oligonucleotides, via programmed molecular self-assembly. Overcoming the static
nature of DNA origami structures is crucial to advancing DNA nanotechnology. Therefore, the goal of the
project is to magnetically actuate and reconfigure DNA nanostructures in real time (millisecond
response times) via magnetic manipulation by attaching them to superparamagnetic beads. In order to
attach micron sized beads, roughly 100x larger than these structures, long stiff arms were constructed
from a 1-D array of DNA origami structures as a connection from the nano-structure to the bead. Three
different DNA nano-structures were actuated: the lever arm itself, a nano-rotor, and nano-hinge. For the
rotor system, the lever arm connects in the center to a stationary nano-platform via- single stranded
DNA that allows rotation. The hinge system, a DNA origami nano-hinge structure is connected to two
long lever arms with the bottom arm fixed to the surface while the top is free to open and close the
hinge. Assembling each system required multiple sequential steps and presented challenges in structure
aggregation which prevented well-formed systems and led to low yields of the final assembly. Several
tests were conducted to optimize the process including, tuning of salt concentrations, folding
concentrations, folding ramps, and purification methods. After increasing the yield of fully functioning
devices, the free arm in each system is labeled with a superparamagnetic bead and magnetically
actuated using weak in-plane external magnetic fields. These DNA nanostructure systems show that
real-time actuation can be achieved by integration of dynamic DNA origami devices, micron-scale stiff
lever arms, and superparamagnetic beads and it opens up new areas where dynamic DNA
nanotechnology can be used.
Category: Engineering
Title: The effect of impact location on brain injury risk in boxing
Student Presenter: Stephen Rudolph
Faculty Advisor: Kang, Yun-Seok
Abstract: Currently there is a high incidence of concussion in boxing, but the biomechanics of the head
that create these brain injuries are still not fully understood. The purpose of this study is to determine
whether impact location influences an athlete's risk of sustaining a concussion. An instrumented
anthropomorphic test device (ATD) head and neck will be impacted with a pneumatic ram outfitted with
a boxing glove in five different locations with three vertical offsets at each location. The impact energy
was selected to simulate those experienced by boxers. Biomechanical data from the head will be
collected and correlated to concussion risk with the use of several injury criteria, namely the Head Injury
Criterion (HIC), Brain Injury Criterion (BrIC), and peak resultant angular acceleration. Preliminary data
suggests there is a significant difference in head injury risk between impact locations. Two-sample t-
tests showed a significant difference between impact locations in 12 of 15 HIC value comparisons. The
largest HIC value, 852, was recorded from a central oblique impact while the smallest, 155, was
recorded from an inferior oblique impact. The smallest and largest percent difference between impact
location mean HIC values were 3.84% and 135.25%, respectively. Data collection and analysis will
continue through and be completed this spring. Overall, this study will expand on the currently limited
knowledge of the impact-induced head biomechanics which cause mild traumatic brain injuries in
boxing.
Category: Engineering
Title: Utilizing technology to increase airport efficiency
Student Presenter: Ashley Saba
Faculty Advisor: Young, Seth
Abstract: How can airports utilize available and/or new technology in order to maximize efficiency? This
group plans to research how technology can be incorporated into all aspects of an airport including, but
not limited to, ticketing, checking baggage, and loading/unloading cargo. The group plans to research
how the postal service uses devices to track every location of a package, and find ways to implement it
within airports around the country. The plan is to also research, and implement, how the postal service
handles weighing and checking packages at home so they are immediately ready for pick up. The group
will also research the efficiency of implementing a baggage check-in checkpoint in the parking lot, and
using newer technologies to then transport the bags to the aircraft. Currently, most airline companies
utilize online check-in and ticketing processes, the group believes that the baggage claim process should
be equally as automated at the other places.
Category: Engineering
Title: Utilization of CO2 as a partial substitute for methane feedstock in chemical looping methane-
steam redox processes for syngas production
Student Presenter: Peter Sandvik
Faculty Advisor: Fan, LS
Abstract: The utilization of carbon dioxide (CO2) as a feedstock in a chemical looping process that
converts methane to syngas and a variety of downstream products has the ability to be impactful in the
field of carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS). The Ohio State University Chemical
Looping methane to syngas (MTS) process' novelty comes from the coupling of carbon capture and
utilization strategy, which captures and utilizes CO2 to create a synergy atypical to many processes that
are designed to deal with the challenges of carbon constraints. CO2 utilization allows for increased
flexibility of H2:CO molar ratios that may be required for variations in the downstream processing while
producing a comparable quantity of syngas with reduced natural gas input. In this study, thermodynamic
models for chemical looping reactor systems are examined using ASPEN Plus and experimentally
verified. The chemical looping reducer reactor considered employs steam, natural gas and CO2 as
feedstock along with metal oxide oxygen carriers. The combustor reactor regenerates the metal oxide
oxygen carriers by combustion of reduced metal oxides with air. The regenerated metal oxides are then
recycled to the reducer reactor. The system is optimized to retain the desired syngas composition
required for downstream gas to liquid (GTL) processes. With CO2 co-injection in the MTS process, the
optimization indicates a natural gas savings of more than 20% over that of the baseline ATR process for
GTL applications. Experiments were also performed and compare well with the results from the
thermodynamic model simulations. These findings exemplify the importance of a CO2 utilization
strategy in optimized GTL processes and encourage further optimization in natural gas to commodity
chemical conversion processes including gas to methanol, gas to ammonia, and gas to ethanol, amongst
others.
Category: Engineering
Title: BIV-spectrin regulates broad spectrum of cardiac arrhythmia phenotypes in vivo
Student Presenter: Tony Satroplus
Faculty Advisor: Satroplus, Tony
Abstract: Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is responsible for over 325,000 adult deaths in the United States
each year and accounts for half of all heart disease related deaths. Arrhythmias are one of the important
causal factors in sudden cardiac death. Normal cardiac electrical activity relies on precise temporal and
spatial control over voltage-gated ion channels. Improper ion channel activity can result in abnormal
heart rhythm, leading to arrhythmias and other forms of cardiac disease. Voltage-gated Na+ channels
(Nav) are essential for myocyte membrane excitability and cardiac function. Previous work by our group
has demonstrated that βIV-spectrin plays an important role in the localization of voltage gated Na+
channel, Nav1.5, the primary Nav in cardiomyocytes. βIVspectrin also associates with
Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), a multifunctional serine/threoninespecific kinase
and directly phosphorylates Nav1.5 at residue S571. While previous work has examined the role of
βIV-spectrin in heart, these studies have been done using mouse models with globally expressed
defects in spectrin. However, βIV-spectrin has well identified roles in excitable tissues other than
heart, including brain and pancreas. In this study, we use cardiac specific βIV-spectrin knock out
(cKO) mice to define the specific role of βIV-spectrin in regulating cardiac excitability and
arrhythmia phenotypes in the absence of potentially confounding off-target effects. To determine the
role of βIV-spectrin, a heart specific βIV-spectrin knock out (cKO) mouse was generated using
the Cre-loxP recombinant system. Action potentials were measured in ventricular myocytes isolated
from wild type, and cKO hearts at baseline and in the presence of isoproterenol (1µm).
Electrocardiograms were measured in anaesthetized animals using telemetry at baseline and following
exercise and epinephrine injection (2mg/kg). cKO ventricular myocytes displayed prolonged action
potentials (APD 90: 43.75, SD:11.18) compared to the WT (APD90: 37.04, SD:15.68). Analysis of
telemetry data showed that cKO animals displayed prolonged sinus pauses and ventricular tachycardia.
These data suggest that βIV-spectrin plays an important role in regulating the cardiac rhythmicity
at both, cellular and organ level. Dysregulation of voltage gated Na+ channel, Nav1.5 could be primarily
responsible for arrhythmia observed in cKO mice.
Category: Engineering
Title: Development & integration of hyperdamping protective material systems in helmet design
Student Presenter: Sansriti Saxena
Faculty Advisor: Harne, Ryan
Abstract: Helmets are used as personal protective equipment in a large variety of occupational and
recreational activities. Despite the widespread use of helmets, concussions and traumatic brain injuries
are still common due to ineffective diffusion and damping of the shock energies caused by impact
events. Conventionally used foam liners for helmet designs require large quantities of stiff, deformable
foam for shock absorption, increasing weight, and according to the data, still not providing the
protection required to prevent head-related injuries. Hyperdamping materials are lightweight,
elastomer materials able to absorb significant vibration and wave energy by harnessing principles from
mechanics of beams for the material design. This research investigates the suitability for hyperdamping
material systems to provide shock absorption properties without the conventional reliance of large
quantities of energy-damping mass. Through the use of constrained arrays of elastomer beams, the
development of hyperdamping protective materials for helmet design leads to substantial impact energy
absorption with reduction in weight. Hyperdamping protective material designs are assessed through
finite element analysis for appropriate design parameters leading to the desired constraints.
Experimentation explores the practical aspects of attenuating shock and system acceleration due a
variety of impulsive forces. Application-based investigations study the effect of the hyperdamping
protective material systems on masses in an environment similar to that of a head in helmet. The results
are compared to those of current foam liners and common helmet shock absorbers to assess the
performance and safety empowered by the new hyperdamping protective materials.
Category: Engineering
Title: What are the effects of muscle weakness on the sit to stand transfer?
Student Presenter: Grant Schneider
Faculty Advisor: Siston, Rob
Abstract: Rising from a chair, also known as sit to stand (STS) transfer, is a common, yet challenging
activity, especially for populations that have limited mobility due to muscle weakness, including the
elderly and those with pathologies. Experimental methods have been used to study lower-limb joint
angles, joint torques, and muscle activations during STS transfer to inform rehabilitation for these
populations. However, rehabilitation is not 100% effective and could be improved by understanding
individual muscle behavior during this task. Experimental methods cannot study this due to the complex
dynamics of the human body, but dynamic simulations can and have been used to estimate muscle
function during STS transfer in healthy adults. Since the effects of muscle weakness on this task remain
unknown, this information could improve rehabilitation for those who find STS transfer difficult. The
purpose of this study was to determine how muscle weakness affects STS transfer using dynamic
simulations. Motion capture, electromyography, and ground reaction force data were collected to
generate simulations of seven young, healthy individuals rising from a chair to determine individual
muscle forces produced during the task. In each model, the maximum possible forces of all lower-limb
muscles were globally weakened in 5% decrements to 50%. Major lower-limb muscle groups, including
gluteus maximus, quadriceps, hamstrings, plantar flexors, gluteus medius, and tibialis anterior, were
individually weakened in 20% decrements to 100%. Preliminary results show that simulated gluteus
maximus and quadriceps forces decrease the most due to global weakness. Additionally, when the
gluteus maximus is individually weakened, the hamstrings and quadriceps compensate through
increased force contributions. Future analysis will determine if global or individual weakness impairs STS
transfer and how muscles compensate for individual muscle weakness in the remaining major lower-
limb muscle groups. These results could improve rehabilitation strategies for populations that find STS
transfer difficult.
Category: Engineering
Title: Computational and experimental studies of microvascular void features for real-time adaptation of
structural panel dynamic performance
Student Presenter: Nick Sears
Faculty Advisor: Harne, Ryan
Abstract: The performance, integrity, and safety of built-up structural systems are critical to their
effective employment in diverse engineering applications in aerospace, automotive, civil, and marine
industries. In conflict with these goals, harmonic or random excitations of structural panels, often found
on such systems, lead to oscillations at the modes of vibration occurring at the natural frequencies. The
result is large amplitude vibrations that contribute directly to fatigue concerns, performance
degradation, and ultimately failure. While many studies have considered active or passive damping
treatments for structural control, these approaches exert little authority to tailor the frequency
sensitivities at the center of the concern. To provide a more authoritative means to adapt the spectral
properties of structural panels for advanced performance and safety, this research explores a new idea
of designing the static and dynamic mass distribution of panels through embedded microvascular voids.
Finite element model and experimental investigations study how removing mass in the form of
microscale voids influences the global vibration modes and frequency sensitivities of structural panels.
Through parameter studies, the relationships among void shape, size, number, and location are
determined to serve as a guide for their use in subsequent dynamic mass distribution investigations.
This research enables next-stage efforts that will characterize opportunities for real-time adaptation of
the dynamic performance via fluid-filled microvascular channels that interface the microscale voids.
Category: Engineering
Title: Dynamic characterization of a polymeric DNA nanostructure for signal transmission
Student Presenter: Andres Serrano Paladines
Faculty Advisor: Castro, Carlos
Abstract: In recent years scaffolded DNA origami has emerged as a novel technique for the construction
of programmable nanostructures via molecular self-assembly. This technology provides unprecedented
control over geometry and mechanical properties. These structures have demonstrated potential for a
range of biomedical applications such as drug delivery, force measurement, and biomarker detection.
Recent advancements have focused on the design of dynamic structures that can be triggered by DNA or
another biological input to undergo actuated motion of the structure into a different conformation. The
goal of this work is to develop material systems where local conformational changes can be physically
communicated to other parts of the material through propagated motion. We have designed dynamic
nanodevices that can propagate conformational changes across a length scale orders of magnitude
larger than the monomeric structure when they are attached end-to-end into arrays. A DNA strand
specific to one end of the array is designed to trigger the mechanism, which in turn makes each
subsequent structure react by the actuation of the previous one. We have fabricated multiple versions
of the nanostructure to test its propensity to react to the trigger input or to different solution
conditions. Preliminary results demonstrate the structure can reconfigure in response to a trigger DNA
strand or changes in solution conditions as desired. We are optimizing the polymerization process and
current work focuses on testing the response of the array structure and its ability to effectively
propagate motion. Moving forward, the ability to transmit a signal across micron-scale distances could
lead to customizable molecular transport systems, programmable circuits, and advanced
nanomanufacturing processes.
Category: Engineering
Title: Selective biomass conversion using silica-supported organic catalysts
Student Presenter: Kory Sherman
Faculty Advisor: Brunelli, Nicholas
Abstract: Developing renewable alternatives to petroleum for producing materials, energy, and
chemicals is an important aspect of creating a sustainable planet. Biomass constitutes a sustainable
alternative to petroleum and has the potential to decrease the world's dependence on it. 5-
Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), a bio-derived chemical, can be used to synthesize many valuable
chemicals that can suffice for other non-renewable chemicals currently used throughout the world.
Experiments have been conducted to increase the selectivity and yield of HMF starting from biomass in
a cost-effective, energy-efficient manner. A bottleneck in this process is efficiently converting fructose to
HMF. For this step in the process, previous experiments have achieved a high selectivity and yield by
reacting fructose in a mixture of water and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) using sulfuric acid as the catalyst,
but this method has proven to be impractical due to the energy-intensive separation of DMSO from the
reaction mixture. This research tests the hypothesis that the use of a bifunctional, heterogeneous
catalyst incorporating analogues of H2SO4 and DMSO in the dehydration reaction of fructose in water
will increase HMF selectivity and yield. The anticipated outcome of this research is that the novel
H2SO4/DMSO catalyst will allow for a sustainable, cost-effective, and eco-friendly method to convert
fructose to HMF. Preliminary tests have shown encouraging results with upwards of 71% selectivity
when only water is used as the solvent, and it's thought that further refinement of the catalyst structure
and environment could produce even greater results.
Category: Engineering
Title: Rheological and structural characterization of micellar fluid
Student Presenter: Xutao Shi
Faculty Advisor: Koelling, Kurt
Abstract: Hydraulic fracturing, a drilling technique responsible for the latest hydrocarbon boom, has
been adopted to extract underground natural gas by injection of a fracking fluid into wellbore fractures.
However, conventional fracking fluids contain cross-linking additives such as sodium tetraborate that are
especially hazardous to environment. And the common polymer constitutes, e.g. hydroxypropyl guar,
result in post-injection residual that will impede the gas outflow. Therefore, alternative fracturing fluids
called micellar fluids have been developed to minimize the hazardous environmental impacts while
correcting the issue of guar residual. Composed of cationic and anionic surfactants, micellar fluids are
environmentally friendly and efficient in terms of gas-yield. However, due to complexity in the
surfactant structure, it is often difficult to predict the rheological behaviors of micellar fluids with
different compositions. In this research, rheological characterizations such as steady rate sweep,
oscillatory frequency sweep, and birefringence time scan have been conducted for a micellar fluid with
different cation/anion ratios. A non-linear Giesekus-Stress-Diffusion model was tailored and
implemented to study the fluid behavior under different surfactant concentrations and a series of
structural parameters were estimated based on the coupling of shear rheology and rheo-optics
experiments. Analysis of the results showed that the studied micellar fluids exhibit shear-banding and
nematic phase under high enough shear rate, which is represented by the intermediate stress plateau in
steady rate sweep. During this shear range, the cationic surfactants along with charge shielding anionic
surfactants exhibit shear-induced isotropic-nematic phase transition, which is manifested by the
birefringence index in rheo-optics experiments. It was also observed that the recombination-breaking
equilibrium of micellar structures was shifted under high strain and the re-establishment of equilibrium
varied in time due to different amount of strain. The current research will result in a better
understanding of the structural and rheological characteristics of micellar fluids and further its various
industrial applications such as detergents, central heating, and drug delivery.
Category: Engineering
Title: Development of an inverted GaAsP photovoltaic subcell structure for application to high-efficiency
III-V/Si tandem solar cells
Student Presenter: Amber Silvaggio
Faculty Advisor: Ringel, Steven
Abstract: Solar power is a viable, sustainable, and environmentally-friendly energy source used in
terrestrial and space applications. The affordability of photovoltaic technologies for terrestrial solar
power generation is controlled by a number of variables, particularly power conversion efficiency.
Silicon is currently the dominant commercial technology due to its wide availability, low cost, and
sufficient performance, but is limited with respect to further improvement. The efficiency of solar cells
can be improved using multi-junction designs composed of III-V compounds, like GaAs and GaInP, but at
substantial cost. Nonetheless, efficiency can be increased by combining these two technologies in
tandem-for example, a III-V top cell in tandem with a Si bottom cell. This study seeks to improve the
efficiency of a prototype GaAsP/Si tandem structure via the application of a novel "inverted" GaAsP
subcell design. TCAD software has been used to model the existing GaAsP top cell and fit the modeled
structure to measured data, enabling the extraction of important material properties. The model was
then modified to test designs with different parameters, including an inverted cell geometry. Current
progress indicates that the inverted structure is more efficient than its upright counterpart at longer
wavelengths of the solar spectrum and less so at smaller wavelengths. These preliminary findings
suggest that multiple design details of the inverted cell, such as the new window/base interfacial
structure, must be carefully adjusted to provide efficiency improvement across the entire spectrum of
interest. Ongoing work includes optimization modeling of the original and inverted cell designs coupled
with growth and fabrication of test devices for comparison with the simulated results. This work is
expected to yield a new GaAsP top cell design that will be significantly more efficient than its
conventional counterpart, and will thereby improve the efficiency of the overall GaAsP/Si photovoltaic
structure to harness and utilize solar energy.
Category: Engineering
Title: Low temperature steam-methane reforming over cadmium intermediate
Student Presenter: Nick Singstock
Faculty Advisor: Fan, Liang-Shih
Abstract: A hydrogen-based energy economy may prove to be the ticket to a clean and sustainable
future. Currently, 95% of the hydrogen produced in the United States today is made via a process known
as steam-methane reforming (SMR). Two reactions are carried out in this process, the oxidation of
methane to carbon monoxide, and the oxidation of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide, both requiring a
steam input. The first reaction is endothermic and requires high temperature steam around 700-
1000°C. Steam reforming is typically 65-75% efficient, meaning that 2.6-3.0 moles of hydrogen are
produced per mole of methane. SMR also produces a significant amount of carbon dioxide as a
byproduct. A promising new process developed in Dr. Fan's lab involves the oxidation of methane with
cadmium hydroxide. Using cadmium hydroxide in a two-reactor chemical looping system can produce
hydrogen from methane at 400°C with a 91% efficiency (3.6 mol H2/mol methane). This process
also produces only 0.25 moles of carbon dioxide per mole of hydrogen, meaning it is cleaner for the
environment. This process has been developed theoretically using thermodynamic screening in
FactSage, meaning that a future goal of the project would be to experimentally confirm the
theoretically-determined results. In addition to experimental confirmation, a global thermo-kinetic
model in python and a full-scale techno-economic model in Aspen are being developed to verify the
viability of a commercial process. Applied on a larger scale, this process could serve as a significant step
towards cleaner and more efficient production of hydrogen.
Category: Engineering
Title: Assessment of a surgeon's ability to determine knee laxity
Student Presenter: Jessica Smith
Faculty Advisor: Siston, Robert
Abstract: A total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a common end-stage treatment for knee osteoarthritis (OA),
and affects millions in the US. A primary objective of a TKA is to provide the patient with a stable,
balanced knee. To determine if the knee is stable and balanced, surgeons will often use a varus-valgus
stress test to qualitatively determine if there are problems with knee laxity (how tight or loose the
ligaments are) before and after a TKA. If the knee is too loose, too tight, or malaligned, the surgeon
intra-operatively adjusts the soft tissues (e.g., ligaments) appropriately. However, these methods rely on
a surgeon's experience and judgment to "feel" for normal knee laxity, which leads to variability in the
outcomes of TKAs. The purpose of my research is to assess the surgeon's ability to determine knee laxity
using the manual varus-valgus stress test. This will be done by building model knees, using mechanical
concepts and data from literature, with known varying laxities and verifying these models with a stability
rig developed at OSU. Each knee must be designed to be consistent and realistic in size/weight. Tests
were performed on multiple prototypes, showing that a range of laxities can be achieved that align with
trends from previous studies. The surgeons will perform varus-valgus stress tests on the model knees
and answer questions about the models' laxity. Their accuracy will be compared to experience (years of
practice and frequency of TKAs). Participants will be surveyed in February and March. The expected
result is that surgeons that frequently perform TKAs and have been practicing longer will have higher
accuracy; however, frequency will be more related to accuracy than years of practice. The results could
affect how current techniques are viewed by the surgical community and could improve existing training
modules for surgeons who perform TKAs.
Category: Engineering
Title: Optimizing hyperdamping materials for enhancing vibration control and shock attenuation
performance
Student Presenter: Yu Song
Faculty Advisor: Harne, Ryan
Abstract: To reduce unwanted mechanical vibrations in automotive, aerospace, and civil engineering
fields, recent research has investigated periodic metamaterials having especially architected topologies.
Yet, these solutions employ heavy materials and narrowband, resonant phenomena which are
unsuitable for the many applications where broadband frequency vibration energy is a concern and
weight is a performance penalty. To overcome these limitations, a new idea for hyperdamping materials
is recently being explored, such that improved vibration damping is achieved without the drawbacks of
the conventional periodic metamaterials. On the other hand, optimized designs of hyperdamping
materials have not been determined which suggests that best practices for design and implementation
are needed. The objectives of this research are to identify optimized, architected topologies of
hyperdamping materials having square cross-sections, and to study the roles of beam taper direction in
energy absorption of hyperdamping material. Through simulation, new design is evaluated in transient
and eigenfrequency model with parametric study to investigate the roles of geometry design and
quantify energy absorption. With impact testing, the dissipated energy is quantified experimentally by
assessing the increase in response amplitude decay caused by the effective hyperdamping material
design. The results show that square cross-section hyperdamping materials provide rapid suppression of
broadband impact and wave energies in square-section structures observed in numerous engineering
applications.
Category: Engineering
Title: The relationship between peak localized deformation and global displacement of human ribs in
anteroposterior loading
Student Presenter: Akshara Sreedhar
Faculty Advisor: Agnew, Amanda
Abstract: Thorax injuries, and rib fractures are common in motor vehicle crashes (MVC), leading to high
morbidity and mortality rates. Simulation of MVCs requires accurate computational models of the
thoracic skeleton to determine the limits of its structural and material properties. The goal of this study
was to determine the relationship between localized deformation and global percent displacement in a
simplified anteroposterior (X-direction) impact to human ribs. Two-hundred sixty two mid-level ribs
from 153 fresh post-mortem human subjects were tested in a 2D dynamic bending scenario, which
simulated a frontal impact to the thorax in a MVC. Uniaxial strain gages were attached before impact to
the cutaneous and pleural surfaces of ribs at 30% and 60% of the total curve length. After impact, peak
strain was defined as the maximum strain value immediately before fracture, as recorded by the strain
gages. The normalized displacement in X was calculated as the displacement at fracture relative to the
original span length of the rib. Results show a significant (p
Category: Engineering
Title: Effect of initial particle size on silver nanoparticle aggregation and dissolution in aquatic systems
Student Presenter: Audrey Stallworth
Faculty Advisor: Lenhart, John
Abstract: Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are used in many consumer products as an antibacterial agent.
The small size of these particles means they are more reactive, because their surface area is larger.
However, the widespread usage of AgNPs has consequently led to their release into the aquatic
environment, where they have the potential to harm organisms that are not their intended target.
Studies have been conducted on the fate and toxicity of AgNPs, but each study uses different size
AgNPs, calling into question the consistency of results across different sizes of AgNPs. In addition, a
variety of sizes may be utilized in consumer products. One method of determining the behavior of
AgNPs in the environment uses the addition of electrolytes to determine their effect on the dissolution
and/or aggregation of AgNPs. This research focused on the effect of different concentrations of three
different electrolytes (NaNO3, CaCl2 and NaCl) on the aggregation kinetics of three different sizes of
citrate-coated silver nanoparticles (10 nm, 50 nm, 80 nm). It was hypothesized that AgNPs with a smaller
initial particle size would be less stable than AgNPs with a larger initial particle size in the presence of
electrolytes. After the addition of an electrolyte to a silver nanoparticle suspension, the change in size of
the particles was measured over time (10 - 15 minutes) using Dynamic Light Scattering. Preliminary
results indicate that 50 nm silver nanoparticles are indeed less stable than 80 nm AgNPs in solutions
with NaNO3 and CaCl2. With NaCl, the stability seems to be the same regardless of initial particle size.
With each of the three electrolytes there is evidence of initial dissolution and significant aggregation.
These results suggest that AgNPs of different sizes may behave differently under the same
environmental conditions. Subsequent tests will look into the stability of the 10 nm AgNPs.
Category: Engineering
Title: Simulation of isothermal gas-assisted injection molding for non-Newtonian fluids
Student Presenter: Eugenia Stanisauskis
Faculty Advisor: Koelling, Kurt
Abstract: Gas-assisted injection molding (GAIM) is a process where a molten polymer is injected into a
cooled mold cavity followed by an injection of gas, allowing the polymer to fill the cavity and form a
hollow part as it cools and solidifies. Current GAIM simulations for isothermal Newtonian fluids can
accurately predict the coating thickness of the polymer melt. However, no existing models predict the
behavior of isothermal non-Newtonian fluids. The proposed simulation uses known material properties,
the glass transition temperature, and process variables such as mold temperature, melt temperature,
and pressure, to calculate the temperature and velocity profiles to predict the coating thickness using
derived relations. Experiments have been performed to determine the effect of temperature gradients
and rheological behavior of the penetrating fluid. It was found that as the delay time between the
injection of polymer and gas increased, the coating thickness increased. It was also found that polymers
with higher viscosity displayed an increase in coating thickness in the mold. The results are plotted
against both Fourier number and Capillary number. Fourier number is a measure of dimensionless time
required for heat transfer to occur across an object while Capillary number is the ratio of viscous to
surface tension forces acting across an interface between a liquid and a gas. The experimental data was
compared against the simulation for both Newtonian and shear-thinning fluids and showed that the
simulation was reliable in predicting the relationship between wall thickness vs Fourier number and
Capillary number. An accurate simulation will help to reduce production costs and improve product
quality. Future work will aim to optimize the capillary number prediction based on optimal radial
position to alter viscosity for a more accurate model.
Category: Engineering
Title: Gas-assisted injection molding in non-isothermal systems at low capillary numbers
Student Presenter: Lena Ta
Faculty Advisor: Koelling, Kurt
Abstract: In gas-assisted injection molding (GAIM), pressurized gas is injected into a cavity filled with
molten polymer to create a mold with a hollowed core. Experimentation in non-isothermal conditions at
lower capillary numbers was necessary to evaluate the accuracy of a recently developed simulation
model. Fractional coverage is dependent on a multitude of parameters including the mold's
temperature gradient, delay time, and capillary number used. Capillary number is the ratio of viscous
forces to interfacial tension and is a strong function of gas bubble velocity and fluid viscosity. Previous
experiments have been performed at capillary numbers high enough to maintain the assumption that
fractional coverage will plateau at a value of 0.6. This same assumption, however, cannot be used for
low capillary bubble speeds. The experiments were conducted at low capillary numbers for two
Newtonian fluids, and two water baths with varying temperatures were used to create a gradient. A
high-speed camera captured the polymer behavior as the temperature gradient and gas injection delay
time varied for each trial, and was used to determine the fractional coverage. The simulation program
calculates fractional coverage with inputted initial conditions similar to the trials, and will be compared
to the experimental fractional coverage. It implements a numerical solution through a hybrid control-
volume finite element/finite-difference method, a momentum balance, and heat-transfer governing
equations to predict wall thickness. The simulation incorporates a correcting equation at low capillary
numbers to adjust for non-uniform thickness down the tube, but must be checked for any deviations
from the actual. Experimental results are crucial to determine if the simulation program can accurately
make predications of more realistic process parameters. This research can become a foundation for
future characterization of even more complex GAIM processes, such as ones of non-Newtonian fluids in
non-isothermal, non-steady state systems.
Category: Engineering
Title: Three dimensional lithographic micro-patterning for the analysis of cancer migration
Student Presenter: Zheng Hong Tan
Faculty Advisor: Winter, Jessica
Abstract: Breast to brain metastasis is a therapeutic challenge that is becoming increasingly common
amongst patients with metastatic breast cancer. Because of limited treatment options, these patients
have a grim prognosis of 6 to 20 months and impaired quality of life from neurologic impairments.
Importantly, metastasis to brain requires breast cancer cells to traverse the blood-brain barrier (BBB), a
natural barrier between the blood and the brain, and form secondary tumors inside the brain stroma.
Not much is known about the mechanisms of metastatic cellular transit across BBB, as current two
dimensional models to study migration do not adequately recapitulate the complex tumor
microenvironment of BBB, including the required dimensionality.This research develops a three
dimensional, lithographically printed, hydrogel model to mimic the BBB that metastatic breast cancer
cells have to traverse to reach brain stroma. This study investigates the physical effects of composite
Hyaluronic Acid(HA)-Collagen hydrogels, which are used to mimic the brain stroma, on breast cancer cell
migration. HA was chosen because it is the most common glycosaminoglycan found in brain,whereas
collagen is a major component of the BBB basement membrane.To study the physical effects of the
hydrogel on migration, MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells were either encapsulated in the hydrogel or
suspended on the surface of HA-Collagen hydrogels with varying HA concentrations. Cell morphology
and migration velocity were investigated as a function of varying HA concentration and the
dimensionality of the matrix. HA concentrations above 5mg/mL limited migration and adhesion of MDA-
MB-231 cells, resulting in a rounded morphology. Current studies are focusing on the efficacy of the
model in invasion assays.
Category: Engineering
Title: Stream surface seeding curve generation based on vector similarity
Student Presenter: Ross Vasko
Faculty Advisor: Wenger, Rephael
Abstract: Flow fields are widely used through science and engineering to model phenomena such as air
flow over vehicles, weather patterns, and blood flow. Flow fields are often visualized by geometries such
as stream surfaces. A stream surface is the union of streamlines seeded at an infinite density along a
seeding curve in a flow field. Stream surfaces are a powerful visualization tool that can allow a user to
easily understand how a region of a flow field behaves. A stream surface is completely determined by its
seeding curve. Traditionally, the seeding curve is a single line segment that is placed by the user through
trial and error. This process is time consuming and often produces stream surfaces that appear
unnatural and do not properly represent the flow. We present an algorithm that automatically
generates stream surface seeding curves that accurately capture the behavior of a flow field around a
point given by the user. Our algorithm creates seeding curves that minimize the change in the velocity
vectors along the length of the seeding curve. The seeding curves are also orthogonal to the flow around
the point of the interest. We additionally provide a method of filtering seeding curves based on
similarity measurements using the Frechet distance. Lastly, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our
algorithm by automatically generating seeding curves on a number of fluid flow data sets and displaying
the resulting stream surfaces.
Category: Engineering
Title: Scalable power generation for wearable electronics using fabric electrochemistry
Student Presenter: Ramandeep Vilkhu
Faculty Advisor: Kiourti, Asimina
Abstract: Wearable sensors are becoming increasingly popular for consumer, sport, and healthcare
applications. In fact, recent studies indicate a projected shipment of over 237 million wearable devices
by 2020. One of the biggest challenges associated with wearable sensors relates to the way of powering
them: batteries are bulky and require frequent maintenance. In this research, we present a new method
for powering wearable sensors via flexible electrochemical fabrics that generate scalable amounts of DC
power when moistened by bodily fluids (sweat, wound exudate, etc.). The electrochemical fabric is
made up of several inter-connected 'printed battery' cells, each of which consists of Ag2O and Zn
deposits to realize the cathode and anode, respectively. When the electrochemical fabric comes in
contact with a conducting fluid, a redox reaction occurs and DC power is generated at the terminals of
the 'printed battery' cell. In the study, two off-the-shelf Procellera® electrochemical 'printed
battery' cells were connected in series via conductive threads, moistened via a saline solution, and used
to power a digital thermometer. A single Procellera® 'printed battery' cell was shown to generate an
open circuit voltage of 0.9V, whereas the series connection of two cells boosted the voltage to 1.2V-
indicating DC power scalability. The digital thermometer's display was shown to flicker when connected
to the two Procellera® 'printed battery' cells. The flickering of the sensor's display as opposed to
fully powering of the sensor is attributed to the limited current generation capabilities of the employed
electrochemical fabric. Future studies will explore more sophisticated electrochemical fabric
configurations for scalable voltage and current generation. Overall, this is the first time that fabric
electrochemistry is demonstrated as a means for powering wearable sensors; thereby serving as a
catalyst for future exploration and scalability that will allow for a novel, efficient method for powering of
wearable sensors.
Category: Engineering
Title: Uniting thermodynamics, rheology, and drag reduction of surfactant micelles: temperature effects
Student Presenter: Lucas Watson
Faculty Advisor: Zakin, Jacques
Abstract: A surfactant is a molecule consisting of a polar headgroup and a non-polar tail. Because of this
dichotomy, under appropriate conditions the surfactants in aqueous solvent will self assemble into a
variety of structures to minimize the contact between the hydrophobic tails and the surrounding water.
The resulting self assembled micelle structures can have a dramatic effect on the physical properties of
their solutions such reduction of pressure requirements in turbulent flow-up to 90%. Each micelle
morphology has unique effects on the physical properties of their solutions. The morphology of a
surfactant micelle is determined by its packing parameter which varies by temperature, deformation
rate, and chemical composition. Unfortunately, there is no way to directly image or predict the
nanostructure of the micelles while they are in flow. Because of this, it has been impossible thus far to
understand details of the mechanism of drag reduction. The objective of this study is to predict drag
reduction parameters for new solutions using predictions from thermodynamics. Rheology, dynamic
light scattering, and Cryo-TEM imaging will be used to determine the size and nanostructure of
surfactant micelles over a range of temperatures and solution compositions. These experimental results
and thermodynamic trends will be applied to drag reduction data to infer the morphology of the
micelles in drag reduced flow. Preliminary results suggest that wormlike micelles are present.
Furthermore, temperature can have either an inverse or direct influence on the Reynolds number of the
onset of drag reduction depending on whether vesicles or wormlike micelles are present in the
quiescent state.
Category: Engineering
Title: Influence of tumor microenvironment biophysical properties on Myoferlin-mediated changes in
breast cancer cell migration and invasion
Student Presenter: Kelsey Watts
Faculty Advisor: Ghadiali, Samir
Abstract: The five-year survival rate for breast cancer decreases from 89.4% to 25.9% if the cancer
metastasizes to invade other body tissues. Metastasis requires increase cell motility and previous
studies indicate that loss of a membrane repair protein, Myoferlin (MYOF), can be used to reduce the
motility of a highly invasive line of breast cancer cells, MDA-MB-231. In addition, biophysical properties
of the tumor microenvironment, such as tissue stiffness and fibroblast-mediated remodeling of the
collagen extracellular matrix, can alter cell motility. For example, the loss of an important tumor
suppressor, PTEN, in stromal fibroblasts leads to increase collagen deposition and remodeling, a stiffer
microenvironment and increased tumor growth. However, it is not known if "knocking down" MYOF
expression (MYOF-KD) can modulate cell motility under different biophysical conditions. In this study,
we first cultured spheroids of wild-type (WT) and MYOF-KD tumor epithelial cells on polyacrylamide gels
of varying stiffness and quantified migration over 24 hours. WT cells cultured on stiffer gels exhibited
greater migration while the migration of KD-MYOF cells was relatively low on all gels. In a second study,
wild-type mouse mammary fibroblasts (WT-F) or fibroblasts with a mutation that results in the loss of
PTEN (PTEN-null) were seeded into a 2 mg/mL collagen gel and allowed to remodel the collagen matrix
over 24 hours. Fluorescently labeled WT and MYOF-KD epithelial cells were then seeded on top of the
remodeled gels and epithelial cells invasion through the gel was quantified. PTEN-null fibroblasts
induced significantly more invasion for both WT and MYOF-KD cells and MYOF-KD cells invaded less than
WT cells under all conditions. These results indicate that knocking down MYOF leads to decreased in
migration and invasion under different biophysical conditions. Future studies will seek to determine the
specific mechanism by which knocking down MYOF alters cancer cell motility.
Category: Engineering
Title: Modulation of collagen fibril structure and matrix mineralization by DDR1
Student Presenter: Brent Weiss
Faculty Advisor: Agarwal, Gunjan
Abstract: Collagen type I is the most abundant extracellular matrix protein. Understanding the role
collagen fibril play in collagen mineralization is relevant to the field of biomaterials as well as in
understanding the pathogenesis of diseases characterized by aberrant mineralization. The collagen fibril
structure can be modified by certain non-collagenous proteins which bind to collagen, such as discoidin
domain receptor (DDR1). The Agarwal lab has previously established that by binding with collagen and
disorganizing the fibril structure, the collagen receptor DDR1 modulates collagen fibrillogenesis and the
resulting morphology of collagen fibrils in both in-vitro and in cell-based assays. This project aims to
further the field by analyzing how mineralization in collagen fibrils is differentially impacted by the
presence of DDR1 in murine models. Studies were conducted on the femora extracted from DDR1
Knout-out (KO) and Wild-type (WT) mice. Mechanical properties of the femora such as stiffness and
toughness were determined from 3-point-bending experiments and the resulting load vs. displacement
data. The broken bone samples were then cleaned and defatted and subjected to Thermogravimetric
analysis (TGA) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) protocols to
determine mineral content and relative weight percentages of Ca and P respectively. The collagen fibril
structure was analyzed using transmission electron microscopy. Our results indicate an increased
stiffness for DDR1 KO bones, which is correlated with their increased mineral content. The collagen fibril
diameter was increased in DDR1 KO mice suggesting a putative role of collagen fibril in promoting
mineralization. Understanding how DDR1 effects mineralization could have broader applications in
understanding the regulatory effects of DDR1 on matrix accumulation and mineralization in the body
and in the development of collagen based biomaterials.
Category: Engineering
Title: Hydrodechlorination of trichloroethylene over palladium supported on high temperature treated
swellable organically modified silica
Student Presenter: Trevor Wendt
Faculty Advisor: Ozkan, Umit
Abstract: As many parts of the world face water shortages, it is essential to find ways to decontaminate
groundwater contaminants like the volatile compound trichloroethylene (TCE). A hydrodechlorination
(HDC) reaction could treat this carcinogen by reducing the chlorinated hydrocarbon with hydrogen over
palladium metal to produce ethane gas and hydrochloric acid. In order to protect the active metal from
anionic poisons like chlorine and sulfur present in groundwater, a novel compound called swellable
organically modified silica (SOMS) has been proposed as a possible catalytic support due to its
hydrophobicity. However, SOMS is not thermally stable and cannot be used in reactions requiring high
operating temperatures. This study shows the effects of fully saturating the material with acetone and
calcinating it instantly at high temperature (H-SOMS) prior to impregnating palladium catalyst to
improve the thermal stability. In order to understand the chemical and physical properties of the H-
SOMS, nitrogen physisorption, temperature programmed decomposition (TPD), and CO chemisorption
were utilized. The steady-state gas-phase HDC of TCE catalytic activity experiments were performed in a
fixed-bed reactor using gas chromatography (GC) to identify and quantify reaction products. These
methods showed that the instant heat treatment changed the textual properties and increased the
accessibility of CO to the Pd sites. The high temperature treated swellable organically modified silica did
achieve better conversion than original SOMS (from 38% to 93% at 200â•°C). These promising results
reveal H-SOMS would make an effective catalytic support for HDC reactions operating at high
temperatures. Using this discovery, the cost of water treatment plants could potentially be reduced due
to the better utilization and protection of the active metal. Increasing the feasibility of eliminating
volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons could result in cleaner and safer drinking water.
Category: Engineering
Title: Convenience for passengers in airport terminals during construction periods
Student Presenter: Kierra Wiggins
Faculty Advisor: Young, Seth
Abstract: Each year millions of travelers utilize airports in the United States. In order to accommodate
the volume of travelers, airport terminals have evolved to become nearly luxurious places for
passengers to await their flights. In order to facilitate these changes, the Federal Aviation Authority has
established strict guidelines to ensure the safety of travelers. In order for airports to continue to follow
maintain these standards construction has become a continuous part of airport operations. Our project
goal is to make airport terminals more convenient for travelers during a construction period. We will
begin with research on when construction is necessary, followed by our in-depth research on how to
make it convenient, efficient and safe for travelers to move about terminals (i.e. wayfinding, baggage
claim, check in/check out, noise, etc.). Under the guidance of the faculty assisting in our research we will
be able to collaborate with airport consulting groups and airport managers to determine what the
current process is for construction and how it can be improved. We hope to sustain the same amount of
business and convenience for airports under construction as when the airport is operating normally. If
our research proves to be sustainable it could be implemented at airports throughout the country.
Category: Engineering
Title: Application of parametric reduced order models in gas turbine bladed disks
Student Presenter: Ryan Wilber
Faculty Advisor: D'Souza, Kiran
Abstract: Gas turbines experience vibrational effects in blades during normal operations, however, if
unchecked these vibrations can lead to failure. There are many parameters that affect these vibrations
including mistuning effects, which changes the stiffness of individual blades, and rotational speed, which
makes all the blades on the disk stiffer. The goal of my research is to create a parametric reduced order
model (PROM) to capture the effects of rotational speed and mistuning while being computationally
efficient. Current industrial bladed disk geometries are often very complex, leading to high
computational costs when running vibration simulations. For this reason, reduced order models (ROMs)
are needed in order to make the analysis more efficient when conducting statistical studies of mistuned
bladed disks. To couple the effects of mistuning and rotational speed, a PROM is used to approximate
the stiffness matrix at any speed by using a Taylor series approximation at three simulated speeds. The
PROM is combined with the nodal energy weighted transformation (NEWT) method which is used to
capture the mistuning effects by creating ROMs using a set of the mode shapes from the vibration
analysis of a single sector model. Forced response and modal analysis can then be conducted on the
reduced system to compute vibrational characteristics of the system. Preliminary results show that
rotational effects will cause a quadratic increase in the natural frequencies of the blades and a great
variation in the modes shapes. This causes the mode shapes for each speed to be included when
reducing the matrices. This modeling method requires three initial simulations in order to create the
initial PROM. Then the user can operate in the reduced order space to investigate a variety of mistuning
levels and rotational speeds, which leads to great computational savings.
Category: Engineering
Title: Hydrogen measurement capabilities for characterizing hydrogen-assisted cracking in dissimilar
metal welds
Student Presenter: Jacob Wildofsky
Faculty Advisor: Alexandrov, Boian
Abstract: Oil and gas companies have been experiencing catastrophic subsea pipeline fracturing and
failure due to hydrogen assisted cracking (HAC). The cracking originates from dissimilar metal welds
(DMW) on high strength steel forgings with Ni-base or austenitic stainless steel filler metals after
hydrogen slowly diffuses into the dissimilar transition zone in hydrogen containing environments. The
welding research group at the OSU materials science and engineering department is currently
conducting Delayed Hydrogen Cracking tests (DHCT) on DMW samples to determine the conditions for
failure utilizing constant loading conditions and simultaneous hydrogen charging. Additional hydrogen
measurement capabilities were required to quantify the maximum amount of hydrogen, which diffuses
into the sample before it fails in the DHCT test (hydrogen saturation time), and the rate at which
hydrogen diffuses in and out of the sample (hydrogen diffusion coefficients). A gas chromatography
thermal conductivity detector (GC TCD) was modified to test DHCT samples for diffusible hydrogen
content. The GC TCD functions by flowing nitrogen gas over a hydrogen charged sample, collecting and
measuring the diffused gas in the TCD. Software was developed in LabVIEW to collect and analyze these
voltage and temperature signals. Utilizing a personally designed calibration valve, the GC TCD calculates
the volume of hydrogen within an unknown sample by comparing the signals from known volumes of
hydrogen generated by the valve. In order to characterize and compare the hydrogen measurements
between DHCT samples, a data base is in development of the hydrogen content and diffusion rates
within samples of varying compositions, dimensions, and charging periods. When complete, oil and gas
companies can use the DHCT test to prevent future failures by evaluation the HAC susceptibility of
undersea pipes that approach the observed maximum load, hydrogen content, and time required for a
fracture to occur.
Category: Engineering
Title: Effect of nanoparticle addition on grain refinement and solidification cracking in high-strength
aluminum welds
Student Presenter: Brett Worrell
Faculty Advisor: Zhang, Wei
Abstract: Aluminum alloy (AA) 7075 is very desirable across many industries such as aerospace and
automotive for its high yield strength to density ratio. However, AA 7075 is limited in many applications
due to its poor weldability with arc welding processes. Currently, the main solution to join AA 7075
materials is to use friction stir welding which is limited to welding in the flat position, and not feasible
for joining parts with more complicated geometries. Arc welding processes offer the ability to weld
these more complicated geometries. A major factor preventing AA 7075 from being arc welded is the
tendency for solidification cracking to occur. Literature reviews have shown that decreasing the average
grain size can successfully reduce the solidification cracking susceptibility. In this study, TiO2
nanopowder (30-50 nm) was introduced to welds created with the gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW)
process to investigate the effect on grain refinement, and subsequent solidification cracking resistance.
Initially the TiO2 nanopowder has been introduced into the aluminum through containing the
nanopowder in foil and creating a spot weld on top of an AA 7075 sample. These GTAW spot weld trials
have shown a reduction in grain size of up to 47% with additions of five weight percent TiO2
nanopowder. The current method is to friction stir weld the particles into the AA 7075 base metal to
better disperse the particles throughout the material. A GTAW weld will then be created on top of these
friction stir welds. Possible reductions in solidification cracking could show plausible uses for introducing
nanoparticles to high strength aluminum and creating a filler wire containing these nanoparticles.
Category: Engineering
Title: Generating and building a perfect perfect-maze in Unity
Student Presenter: Skylar Wurster
Faculty Advisor: Crawfis, Roger
Abstract: Using research on creating new algorithms to generate perfect mazes satisfying specified
attributes - such as solution path length, dead end length, choice tiles, etc. - the goal of this project was
to create a Unity plugin which takes the resulting perfect maze topology and produces a game level. One
approach I explored was to generate Wang Tiles through editing terrain chunks. For a perfect maze, a
graph on a Cartesian grid in which all grid cells are connected without any loops, there are 15 different
"types" of tiles that a required, tile topologies. Another approach placed objects or barricades to
produce the tiles used to construct the maze level. We began by creating algorithms that turn the two
bit vectors which represent a compressed representation of a spanning tree on the grid into a tiling of
tile topologies. From there, we created tools that allow the user to change the tiles generated so that a
path for the maze is visible on the tiles. After this was implemented, we explored ways to have the maze
look more natural. This included recursive backtracking for random walks and using a Bezier curve when
painting the path on the tile's texture. The finished tool will speed up the creative process, and will allow
rapid prototyping of various maze-based maps.
Category: Engineering
Title: Enhanced butanol production in Clostridium acetobutylicum using small regulatory RNAs for
metabolic engineering
Student Presenter: Hopen Yang
Faculty Advisor: Wood, David
Abstract: Butanol is an attractive alternative to fossil fuels due to its high energy density and ability to
directly replace gasoline. The anaerobic bacterium Clostridium acetobutylicum produces butanol,
acetone, ethanol, butyrate and acetate during the ABE fermentation process. To increase butanol titer
and yield, we chose to down-regulate two genes in the ABE metabolic pathway, buk and hydA. Down-
regulation of these genes presents a novel opportunity to modify Clostridium, as hydA is essential to
cellular function and cannot be turned off completely using the DNA knockout method (gene
disruption). Instead we used a regulatory RNA-based gene expression control system for metabolic
engineering in C. acetobutylicum. Bacterial small genetic regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) bind to protein-coding
mRNA sequences to enhance or reduce mRNA translation and thus protein expression, and can provide
flexible gene expression tuning. We used E. coli DsrA sRNA variants previously retargeted to bind the
clostridial mRNA leaders. DsrA is a multi-targeting sRNA that allows simultaneous retargeting to both
clostridial transcripts. The sRNA was semirationally designed using genetic engineering techniques and
prototyped in an E. coli genetic system for repression of buk and hydA reporter gene fusions. In this
work, a recombinant shuttle vector plasmid for sRNA production was created and used to transform C.
acetobutylicum ATCC 824 in anaerobic conditions. The DsrA variants were then tested in C.
acetobutylicum to determine fermentation yields as compared to the original strain. Preliminary results
show that one of our DsrA variants that target hydA improves butanol yield, presumably by increasing
the intracellular NADH concentration. Simultaneously we see decreased production of butyrate and
acetate. This project will significantly improve the economic viability of the production process for
biologically derived n-butanol. The sRNA platform has potential for broad applications in metabolically
engineering various bacterial species for specialty chemicals synthesis.
Category: Engineering
Title: Conversion efficiency of EHC in cold start and stop-start events with different heating patterns for
plug-in hybrid electric vehicle
Student Presenter: Shuhan Yang
Faculty Advisor: Midlam-Mohler, Shawn
Abstract: As concern for the environmental issues become more severe, emission regulations typically
become more stringent. To meet increasing demands of emissions regulations Electrically Heated
Catalysts (EHCs) have been proposed as a solution. This technology can be particularly helpful for Plug-In
Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) to reduce the emissions following a cold start event. One challenge for
implementation on PHEVs is that they typically have low current capability in the 12-volt system that
supplies the EHCs. EHCs often require more than 100 amps from a 12-volt system for 20-30 seconds
making it difficult to use in a PHEV. This research is focused on investigating the relationship between
emission conversion efficiencies and heating patterns to achieve the desired emission reduction goal. A
wide range of heating times, air flow rates, and power for cold starts and warm/hot engine restarts
were tested to study thermal and chemical characteristics of the EHC. Emissions data during these tests
was collected and studied to determine the best possible solution for lowering emissions while staying
within the constraints of the 12-volt system. These results were used to develop a control strategy for
OSU's EcoCAR vehicle which will compete in a national competition in May of 2017.
Category: Engineering
Title: Induction of hypertrophy in human cartilage endplate cells promotes angiogenesis and catabolism
in the intervertebral disc
Student Presenter: Taylor Yeater
Faculty Advisor: Purmessur, Devina
Abstract: Low back pain is second only to cancer in terms of socioeconomic burden in the U.S., but
current treatments are highly invasive and fail to target the underlying cellular mechanisms of
intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration. In degeneration, the cartilaginous end plate (CEP) becomes
calcified, which coincides with angiogenesis and neoinnervation into the IVD. In diseases such as
osteoarthritis, a proposed mechanism is the recapitulation of developmental processes and we suggest
that in degeneration, CEP cells undergo hypertrophic differentiation similar to endochondral
ossification. The aim of this study was to determine if CEP cells can undergo hypertrophic
differentiation, leading to angiogenesis. Human CEP cells were isolated from autopsy and pellet
cultured. Cells were cultured in basal media for 24 hours, after which samples were used for qRT-PCR,
DMMB proteoglycan assay, and generation of conditioned media (CM). For 21 days, pellets were
cultured in either chondrogenic or hypertrophic (10% FBSorCHIR99021, a wnt agonist) media in 5%
oxygen. Soluble factors from CM generated after 21 days was pooled, and a HUVEC tubular formation
assay ran. Tubular length was assessed using Image J plug in, Angiogensis Analyzer. QRT-PCR showed a
decrease of chondrogenic marker, COL2, in both hypertrophy groups compared to the chondrogenic
group. Hypertrophic markers MMP13 and IHH displayed increases in the hypertrophy groups. Increases
were also seen in the angiogenic and pain related markers, VEGF-A, TAC1, and NGF in the hypertrophy
groups. DMMB assay results show decreases in proteoglycans in the hypertrophy groups. HUVEC tubular
formation assay showed that both hypertrophy groups increased the total length of tubules. This study
sought to determine the underlying cellular mechanisms of low back pain and suggests that
hypertrophic differentiation of CEPs, with subsequent angiogenesis and neoinnervation, may be
implicated in the process of IVD degeneration.
Category: Engineering
Title: Controlling ionic conductivity via PPy-based regulation
Student Presenter: Victoria Yee
Faculty Advisor: Sundaresan, Vishnu
Abstract: Aqueous systems, especially for biological applications, can be sensitive to minute changes in
chemical composition. Therefore, understanding the effect of ionic concentration on these systems is a
research topic of interest. Electrically conductive polymers, such as polypyrrole, intercalate ions in a
solution at the onset of electrical potentials. Through this removal (reduction of polypyrrole) or addition
(oxidation of polypyrrole) of ions, the chemical concentration of the solution is altered. While this
concentration change uniquely perturbs the system, the effects of the transport phenomena on overall
solution composition are not well-quantified. In an effort to further understand how aqueous systems
are influenced by conducting polymers, a relationship between polypyrrole mass and change in a bulk
ionic solution was studied by measuring changes in ionic conductivity. Polypyrrole samples of varying
masses underwent chronoamperometry in multiple potassium chloride concentrations, and the number
of ions moved by polypyrrole was calculated. In the same chamber, cyclic voltammetry was performed
in a conductivity cell (formed with platinum wire electrodes) during both reduction and oxidation of
polypyrrole. Preliminary findings indicated more massive polypyrrole samples removed a greater
number of ions from the bulk solution, although experiments are still ongoing. As ions are removed from
solution, the ionic content and therefore conductivity decrease. Due to ions favoring ingression to sites
near the polymer's surface, membranes were expected to impede ingression once a certain polymer
thickness was achieved. A limit to the relationship between polymer thickness and ionic conductivity
was present in the data, as conductivity increases at the highest thicknesses tested. These findings
establish that polypyrrole can be used as a solid-state method to alter ionic conductivity without
needing to input additional fluid into the system. With further refinement, polypyrrole has potential as a
solid-state method for controlling chemical concentrations in a solution and vacillate between desired
concentrations.