2024-03-29T08:27:17Zhttps://thescholarship.ecu.edu/oai/requestoai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/44832021-03-03T20:56:43Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1com_10342_6421col_10342_44col_10342_72col_10342_6422
Robert, Chin
Barber, Scott M.
Engineering
2014-08-06T20:21:41Z
2015-08-06T06:30:12Z
2014
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/4483
Sustainability has been defined by the Brundtland Comission as "meeting the needs of present generations without compromising the needs of future generations." Seeking to become more sustainable, the City of Greenville, North Carolina developed a Municipal Operations Sustainability Plan, which presents the vision for the city and specific goals to become environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing municipal electricity, reducing the use of potable water, increasing the number of street trees, and establishing a sustainability fund are among the goals that, when achieved, will help Greenville become more sustainable. The Public Work's Department has been working with Schneider Electric to reduce the amount of energy use in municipal buildings. Schneider Electric specializes in energy management, and is known worldwide for its success in saving energy and improving energy efficiency. Along with the work completed with Schneider Electric within the Public Work's Department, Greenville has joined ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability. ICLEI is a nonprofit, international, membership organization of cities, towns, and counties seeking to become more sustainable, addressing climate change and clean energy. ICLEI provides valuable resources, and experience and leadership for local governments to help save money, reduce energy use, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This research presents what Greenville has achieved thus far with Schneider Electric and ICLEI USA, and states what the next steps are to reach their goals, as well as evaluating other cities in North Carolina that are more sustainable in order to understand what can be achieved in Greenville.
22 p.
Sustainability
Greenville (N.C.)
Public Works
Schneider Electric
ICLEI
North Carolina
City of Greenville, North Carolina - Sustainability
Undergraduate Thesis
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/58762022-01-20T16:03:56Zcom_10342_107com_10342_73com_10342_41com_10342_1col_10342_5056col_10342_44
Kim, Sunghan, 1975-
Noor, Fouzia
Aboy, Mateo
McNames, James
2016-08-25T13:20:17Z
2016-08-25T13:20:17Z
2016-08-11
2016-08-11T16:03:05Z
BioMedical Engineering OnLine. 2016 Aug 11;15(1):94
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12938-016-0214-x
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/5876
10.1186/s12938-016-0214-x
Background: We describe the first automatic algorithm designed to estimate the pulse pressure variation (PPVPPV) from arterial blood pressure (ABP) signals under spontaneous breathing conditions. While currently there are a few publicly available algorithms to automatically estimate PPVPPV accurately and reliably in mechanically ventilated subjects, at the moment there is no automatic algorithm for estimating PPVPPV on spontaneously breathing subjects. The algorithm utilizes our recently developed sequential Monte Carlo method (SMCM), which is called a maximum a-posteriori adaptive marginalized particle filter (MAM-PF). We report the performance assessment results of the proposed algorithm on real ABP signals from spontaneously breathing subjects.
Results: Our assessment results indicate good agreement between the automatically estimated PPVPPV and the gold standard PPVPPV obtained with manual annotations. All of the automatically estimated PPVPPV index measurements (PPVautoPPVauto) were in agreement with manual gold standard measurements (PPVmanuPPVmanu) within ±4 % accuracy.
Conclusion: The proposed automatic algorithm is able to give reliable estimations of PPVPPV given ABP signals alone during spontaneous breathing.
en_US
en
http://biomedical-engineering-online.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12938-016-0214-x
Extended Kalman filter
A-posteriori distribution
Maximum a-posteriori estimation
Marginalized particle filter
Multi-harmonic signal
A novel particle filtering method for estimation of pulse pressure variation during spontaneous breathing
Article
The Author(s)
BioMedical Engineering OnLine
15
1
94
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/128362023-06-05T13:47:50Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1com_10342_122col_10342_44col_10342_124
McMorris, Jason
Engineering
2023-06-05T13:47:50Z
2023-06-05T13:47:50Z
2023-05
2023-05-03
May 2023
2023-06-02T15:40:49Z
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/12836
Having a reliable supply of fresh water is a problem that affects nations around the world. Saltwater desalination is one of the best methods for fulfilling this need, but it is an energy-intensive process that is expensive to maintain. Wave energy can be utilized to increase the efficiency of seawater desalination using a wave energy converter (WEC) to lower the external energy requirement. This thesis presents an analysis of scaled down flap-type oscillating surge wave energy converter (OSWEC) geometries and their effects on the power output. The performance of the OSWEC was tested using different flap shapes in addition to different configurations of thickness, density, and center of mass. The tested wave conditions were based on scaled down wave conditions at Jennette's Pier in Nag's Head, North Carolina, and used a significant wave height of 0.117m and a natural period of 1.68s. The system's power take-off (PTO) was also manipulated using different damping and stiffness coefficients to maximize the power generated from the OSWEC. The results of the wave simulations showed that the thinnest configuration of the variable thickness cylindrical flap shape, with the highest tested density and center of mass, produced the most power using the given wave conditions with an average power output of 30.11W.
application/pdf
en
East Carolina University
Renewable energy
Wave energy converter
oscillating surge wave energy converter
geometry optimization
OSCILLATING SURGE WAVE ENERGY CONVERTER GEOMETRY OPTIMIZATION FOR DIRECT SEAWATER DESALINATION
Master's Thesis
text
M.S.
Masters
MS-Mechanical Engineering
East Carolina University
Engineering
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/74462022-01-20T16:04:18Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1com_10342_122col_10342_44col_10342_124
Kim, Sunghan, 1975-
Williams, Patrick M
Engineering
2019-08-21T18:51:09Z
2019-08-21T18:51:09Z
2019-08
2019-07-02
August 2019
2019-08-19T17:40:45Z
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/7446
Age-associated cognitive decline (AACD) is a natural part of life. The difference between malignant and benign AACD can be difficult to determine in the early stages of dementia. Many factors affect an individual's brain changes throughout their life; therefore, the detection of dementia commonly requires longitudinal studies. By the time the symptoms of dementia manifest the damage to one's central nervous system is irreversible. The investigation of biomarkers for the early detection of dementia is ongoing. Electroencephalogram (EEG) research, along with other neuroimaging and clinical testing, has shown that it is possible to detect subtle changes to the central nervous system before the onset of behavioral changes due to dementia. In this research, a sequential imaging oddball paradigm that utilizes upright and inverted familiar and unfamiliar faces were used to scrutinize the effect of facial inversion throughout healthy adult aging. The results indicate that late event-related potentials such as the P300 and late positive potential may be biomarkers for the tracking of age-related changes. Additionally, it may be concluded that the oddball paradigm is not the optimal way to elicit the face inversion effect. Further research is recommended in order to develop conclusions which could not be determined due to limited population and sample size.
application/pdf
en
East Carolina University
Mild Cognitive Impairment
Alzheimer's Disease
Processing
Spectral
Analysis
Biomarker
Oddball
P300
N170
N400
P600
Late Positive Potential
Fieldtrip
MATLAB
Cognition disorders in old age
Electroencephalography--Age factors
Dementia--Etiology
The facial inversion effect throughout healthy adult aging : an event-related brain potential study
Master's Thesis
text
M.S.
Masters
MS-Biomedical Engineering
East Carolina University
Engineering
Open Access
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/110672022-09-10T07:16:03Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1col_10342_44
Sylcott, Brian
Lin, Chia-Cheng
Williams, Keith
Hinderaker, Mark
2022-09-09T12:46:47Z
2022-09-09T12:46:47Z
2021
2369-2529
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/11067
10.2196/24950
en_US
postural sway
virtual reality
force plate
Investigating the Use of Virtual Reality Headsets for Postural Control Assessment: Instrument Validation Study
Article
JMIR Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies
8
4
e24950
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/69442021-03-03T21:18:49Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1com_10342_122col_10342_44col_10342_124
Abdel-Salam, Tarek
Agarwal, Ritesh
Engineering
2018-08-14T14:20:12Z
2018-08-14T14:20:12Z
2018-08
2018-07-17
August 2018
2018-08-09T19:59:45Z
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/6944
Mixing efficiency is an important issue in the design of micromixers, since effective mixing is required between Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sample and restriction enzyme for a fast digestion process. Mixing is improved by chaotic advection through serpentine mixing channels. This leads to the desired reduction in the fluid diffusion path while at the same time increasing the fluid contact areas. The purpose of this research is to evaluate mixing efficiency in microchannel mixers, through a numerical study of different micromixing configuration. To accomplish this, a numerical study is conducted using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach using ANSYS Fluent and CFX Software for different geometries designed. Different geometric configuration were proposed and used: bottleneck near the inlet and along the zig zag and curved shaped rectangular zig zag geometry. Mixing analysis is done by different conditions such as Reynold's number, effect of geometry on fluid flow and different diffusion coefficients by evaluating mixing index of the fluid. Results have shown better and faster mixing index around bottleneck region compared to other. This geometry can be used to model passive micromixers and other microfluidic devices with shorter mixing length and for faster mixing between reagents.
application/pdf
en
East Carolina University
Numerical Analysis
passive micromixer
Computational fluid dynamics
Passive micromixers for DNA analysis using CFD modelling
Master's Thesis
text
M.S.
Masters
MS-Biomedical Engineering
East Carolina University
Engineering
Restricted Campus Access Only
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/86082021-03-03T22:08:35Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1com_10342_122col_10342_44col_10342_124
Oyen, Michelle L
Ludwich, Jacob M
2020-06-24T12:46:42Z
2020-06-30T08:01:54Z
5/1/2020
2020-06-22
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/8608
East Carolina University
Articular cartilage--Diseases
Osteoarthritis--Treatment
Biomimicry
Fabrication and Characterization of a Hydrogel-Nanofiber Composite for Cartilage Replacement
Master's Thesis
Masters of science in Biomedical Engineering
MS
Biomedical Engineering
East Carolina University
Engineering
11/1/2020
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/69082021-03-03T21:18:40Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1com_10342_30com_10342_122col_10342_44col_10342_35col_10342_124
Sylcott, Brian
Cruz-Molina, Genesis R.
Engineering
2018-08-14T13:00:24Z
2020-08-01T08:01:52Z
2018-08
2018-05-18
August 2018
2018-08-09T19:53:23Z
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/6908
Chronic pain affects approximately 100 million Americans annually. Heart rate variability and skin conductance have been used separately as measures of pain intensity. Current methods of assessing pain intensity have some limitations as they completely rely on subjective pain scales, require the patient's cooperation, and completely fail in unconscious patients. Therefore, there is a need for an objective method of measuring pain to improve the quality of pain management. Understanding the relationship between heart rate variability and skin conductance can be beneficial for non-pharmacological treatments of pain such as biofeedback training, as combining both signals can be used to create a more powerful tool to measure pain. To identify a relationship between skin conductance and heart rate variability, we propose a cross-correlation analysis. Such approach necessitates collection of baseline data on healthy college students, administration of a thermal stimuli, and collection of data during and after the stimuli.
application/pdf
en
East Carolina University
heart rate variability
continuous decomposition analysis
cross-correlation
Pain--Measurement
Pain--Treatment
Decompression (Physiology)
College students--Health and hygiene--United States
Galvanic skin response
Identifying a cross-correlation between heart rate variability and skin conductance using pain intensity on healthy college students
Master's Thesis
text
M.S.
Masters
MS-Biomedical Engineering
East Carolina University
Engineering
Open Access
2020-08-01
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/107202022-06-23T07:16:06Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1col_10342_44
Das, Kanchan
Lashkari, R. S.
Khan, Azizur R.
2022-06-22T17:44:33Z
2022-06-22T17:44:33Z
2021
1979-3561
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/10720
10.31387/oscm0440285
en
humanitarian logistics
rescue and relief operations
logistics in traffic-congested areas
A Humanitarian Logistics-Based Planning for Rescue and Relief Operation After a Devastating Fire Accident
Article
Operations and Supply Chain Management
14
1
51-61
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/60442021-03-03T21:09:36Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1com_10342_122col_10342_44col_10342_124
Muller-Borer, Barbara J.
Vargas, Daniel E.
Engineering
2017-01-11T22:10:24Z
2019-02-26T14:23:44Z
2016-12
2016-12-13
December 2016
2017-01-11T14:33:13Z
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/6044
Using electrospun nanofiber scaffolds have emerged as a technique for tissue engineering (TE) applications. In 2011, Sullivan et al. reported on the process to effectively electrospin and crosslink nanofibers from poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and [beta]-lactoglobulin (BLG) aqueous solutions. PEO and BLG are both biodegradable and biocompatible materials. Crosslinking PEO/BLG nanofibers is necessary to improve their aqueous stability for TE applications. However, the heat treatment process suggested by Sullivan et al. is time intensive. The purpose of this study was to a) investigate an alternative crosslinking method for electrospun nanofibers made from an aqueous protein solution b) assess the resulting nanofibers for their potential use as scaffolds for TE applications, and c) evaluate the effect of biologically treated nanofiber scaffolds on stem cell proliferation. Chemical crosslinking techniques using Sodium Trimetaphosphate (STMP) combined with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) were evaluated. STMP has been shown to effectively crosslink polysaccharide nanofibers in situ during electrospinning. Methods: STMP, at various concentrations, was added to PEO/BLG electrospinning solutions. The effects of STMP were characterized by measuring the solution's viscosity, pH and conductivity. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) images were acquired to qualitatively assess electrospun nanofiber morphology and scaffold topography. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) were grown on PEO/BLG scaffolds under control conditions and when treated with the protein Thymosin-[beta]4 (T[beta]4). HMSC proliferation was assessed to evaluate the effects of PEO/BLG nanofiber scaffolds and different T[beta]4 treatments at day 2, 4 and 8. Results: Using STMP to chemically crosslink PEO/BLG electrospun scaffolds affected solution properties, nanofiber morphology and scaffold topography. PEO/BLG/STMP nanofibers were highly beaded and wavy with little structure relative to PEO/BLG nanofibers. Fibers were not stable in an aqueous solution.Using T[beta]4 to treat the PEO/BLG nanofiber scaffolds and/or cell culture media improved hMSC proliferation with increased time in culture. HMSCs remained viable throughout the growth period for all treatments. However, hMSCs did not integrate into PEO/BLG nanofiber scaffolds, but attached to the scaffold surface. Conclusion: Using STMP, at the tested concentrations, as an alternative crosslinker for PEO/BLG nanofibers was ineffective and did not result in usable electrospun scaffolds. Chemically crosslinking PEO/BLG nanofibers requires further research in polymer chemistry to identify an alternative in situ crosslinking mechanism. Treating the scaffolds and/or media with T[beta]4 did result in improved hMSC proliferation. However, while hMSC cultures remained viable and proliferation increased with T[beta]4 treatments, further research is necessary to develop protocols that will enable hMSC integration with PEO/BLG nanofiber scaffolds.
application/pdf
en
East Carolina University
HMSC
stem cells
Crosslinking (Polymerization)
Nanofibers
Polyethylene oxide
Lactoglobulins
Poly(ethylene Oxide)/β-lactoglobulin Electrospun Nanofibers: Chemical Crossliking Assessment and Thymosin-β4 Functionalization
Master's Thesis
text
M.S.
Masters
MS-Biomedical Engineering
East Carolina University
Engineering
Open Access
2019-01-11
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/69852022-08-01T08:01:53Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1com_10342_122col_10342_44col_10342_124
Litwa, Karen
Tate, Kinsley M
Engineering
2018-08-14T15:28:06Z
2022-08-01T08:01:53Z
2018-08
2018-07-23
August 2018
2018-08-09T20:05:23Z
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/6985
Autism is a genetically complex neurodevelopmental disorder in which patients exhibit social deficits in both verbal and non-verbal forms of communication and display restricted and repetitive behaviors. Approximately 1 in 68 children are diagnosed with Autism in the United States². The prevalence of Autism in North Carolina is even greater where 1 in 58 children are diagnosed³. Autism is thought to be influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Complex interactions between these factors make the creation of therapeutic treatments difficult to achieve. One environmental factor that is being studied in relation to Autism is the anti-depressant Fluoxetine. Fetal exposure to Fluoxetine through maternal ingestion of the drug or consumption of drinking water where the drug is present is thought to interrupt normal fetal brain development. Fluoxetine has previously been show to increase dendritic spine formation, the main location of excitatory synapse development. However, the exact mechanism that causes this dysregulation of the actin cytoskeleton is not fully understood. Post-mortem samples from individuals with Autism also display increased dendritic spine levels. We hypothesize that Fluoxetine acts through the Rac1 pathway to increase dendritic spine density. To examine the impact of Fluoxetine on fetal synapse formation human cortical organoids, or 'mini-brains', were created to recapitulate the second trimester fetal brain. Once the 'mini-brains' reached the appropriate time point in development they were treated either acutely with Fluoxetine, chronically with Fluoxetine, with the Rac1 inhibitor NSC23766 or a combination of Fluoxetine and NSC23766. After 90 days in culture, the 'mini-brains' were harvested, fixed, cryosectioned and stained for pre- and post-synaptic markers. Using ImageJ excitatory synapse density and morphology was analyzed. It was determined that Fluoxetine caused enlargement of synapses that were irregular in shape. The effects of Fluoxetine on synapse formation were reduced when combined with the Rac1 inhibitor NSC23766. In addition to examining excitatory synapse formation, the effects of Fluoxetine and NSC23766 on electrical signal transmission was also observed using micro-electrode technology. Both Fluoxetine and NSC23766 were shown to decrease neuronal activity.
application/pdf
en
East Carolina University
Synapse Formation
Gestational age--Testing
Autism spectrum disorders in children--North Carolina--Testing
Fluoxetine
Role of antidepressants in fetal synapse formation in Autism Spectrum Disorders
Master's Thesis
text
M.S.
Masters
MS-Biomedical Engineering
East Carolina University
Engineering
Open Access
2022-08-01 (Embargo extended for 1 year)
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/106542023-11-02T16:31:20Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1com_10342_122col_10342_44col_10342_124
Kim, Sunghan, 1975-
Wang, Lana
Engineering
Sylcott, Brian
Mizelle, Chris
2022-06-09T19:11:25Z
2022-06-09T19:11:25Z
2022-05
2022-04-28
May 2022
2022-06-07T16:42:50Z
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/10654
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is considered as the early stage of Alzheimer's disease, characterized as mild memory loss. Using electroencephalogram (EEG) data, a novel method of functional connectivity (FC) analysis can be used to detect MCI before memory is significantly impaired allowing for preventative measures to be taken. FC examines interactions between EEG channels to grant insight on underlying neural networks and can also allow for an examination of the effects of MCI on these neural networks. The FC method of weighted phase lag index (wPLI) provided insight on the link between the pathology of Alzheimer's disease and cognitive loss. wPLI was analyzed per frequency band (theta, alpha, mu, beta) and by channel combination groups (intra-hemispheric short, intra-hemispheric long, inter-hemispheric short, inter-hemispheric long, transverse). MCI was found to have a statistically significant lower [delta]wPLIP300 compared to normal controls in the mu intra-hemispheric short (p = 0.0286), mu intra-hemispheric long (p = 0.0477), mu inter-hemispheric short (p = 0.0018) and the alpha intra-hemispheric short (p = 0.0423). Results indicate a possible deficiency in the dorsal visual processing pathway among MCI subjects as well as an unbalanced coordination between the two hemispheres.
application/pdf
en
East Carolina University
event related potentials
functional connectivity
Electroencephalography
Mild cognitive impairment
Alzheimer's disease
Functional Connectivity Analysis of Visually Evoked ERPs for Mild Cognitive Impairment
Master's Thesis
text
M.S.
Masters
MS-Biomedical Engineering
East Carolina University
Engineering
Open Access
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/48082021-03-03T20:56:50Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1col_10342_44col_10342_72
Reis, John
Bryan, Alex
Abdelsalam, Rana
Williams, Charles
Abdelrahman, Mohamed
Engineering
2015-05-06T13:15:16Z
2020-05-07T08:01:51Z
2015
Bryan, Alex; Abdelsalam, Rana; Williams, Charles; Adbelrahman, Mohamed. (2015). DESIGN OF A FORCE BIOFEEDBACK TOOTH EXTRACTION EDUCATIONAL DEVICE. Unpublished manuscript, Honors College, East Carolina University, Greenville, N.C.
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/4808
The current jaw model used by students from the East Carolina School of Dental Medicine to practice tooth extractions does not accurately simulate the forces in a real human mouth. Originally multiple alternative designs were generated and divided into three different categories: tooth material, full or partial jaw, tooth attachment method, sensor type, and alert system. These alternatives were analyzed and the chosen ones were metal teeth for the tooth material, full jaw for the jaw type, fixed with pivot for the attachment method, strain gages on the forceps for the sensor type, and LED for the alarm system. After further analysis it was decided that the following changes would be made. Instead of having one full jaw, individual teeth were mounted on rectangular prism and cylindrical bases. Strain gages were placed on the side of the rectangular bases to determine bending moments and to the cylindrical bases to determine twisting moments applied to the teeth. The LED alarm system was used alert the user when certain moment thresholds are met. A prototype was built and tested and the design met the functional requirements of the engineering design specifications. Recommendations were provided to make the design more commercially feasible. Recommendations included assembling some of the electrical components in house, sending the models out to be manufactured by a third party, putting the LED lights closer to the model, and mounting the models in a way to better simulate a real extraction.
Dr. Stevan Thompson
B.S.
Engineering
Dentistry
Technology
DESIGN OF A FORCE BIOFEEDBACK TOOTH EXTRACTION EDUCATIONAL DEVICE
Honors Project
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/108472022-07-20T07:16:25Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1col_10342_44
Wu, Rui
Li, Jiahao
Ablan, Charles
Guan, Shanyue
Yao, Jason
2022-07-19T15:09:02Z
2022-07-19T15:09:02Z
2021-03
0975 - 8887
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/10847
en_US
gun detection
public safety
machine learning algorithms
Preprocessing Techniques’ Effect On Overfitting for VGG16 Fast-RCNN Pistol Detection
Article
International Journal of Computer Applications
28
1
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/128522023-06-05T13:54:18Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1com_10342_122col_10342_44col_10342_124
Antar, Marwa
Engineering
2023-06-05T13:54:18Z
2023-06-05T13:54:18Z
2023-05
2023-05-03
May 2023
2023-06-02T15:40:54Z
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/12852
Sleep plays a vital role in learning and memory consolidation. Several studies used brain models of sleep deprivation (SD) and insomnia to study the association between sleep deficiency and cognitive decline conditions. SD was found to cause similar, albeit subtle, cognitive decline symptoms displayed by dementia patients affecting attentional functions, decision making, working and long-term memory. This study examines the effect of sleep restriction (SR) on brain networks and utilizes Functional Connectivity (FC) analysis to identify patterns of information processing between different brain regions. It particularly applies weighted phase-lag index (wPLI) to quantify brain signals synchronization levels during a visual oddball paradigm task that evokes event-related potentials (ERPs) associated with face recognition. This study also examines the viability of graph theoretic analysis (GTA), which provides a holistic view on the brain network topology. GTA quantifies the brain connectivity features to assess the global efficiency and local efficiency of information processing, pre- and post- SR intervention. Significant alterations were found in all graph indices mainly in α-, µ- and β- frequency bands due to induced mental fatigue. The obtained results reveal significantly lower local connections (p < 0.05) and lower global efficiency (p < 0.001), particularly in the α- band as a result of mental fatigue, reflecting the impact of sleep loss on attention and memory processing.
application/pdf
en
East Carolina University
Functional connectivity
Graph theory
network analysis
sleep deprivation
sleep restriction
cognitive decline
brain network
event-related potential
electroencephalogram
Graph Theoretic analysis of the Human Brain Functional Connectivity Alteration Due to Sleep Restriction
Master's Thesis
text
M.S.
Masters
MS-Biomedical Engineering
East Carolina University
Engineering
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/128432023-06-05T13:52:41Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1com_10342_122col_10342_44col_10342_124
Glosson, Gabriel
Engineering
2023-06-05T13:52:40Z
2023-06-05T13:52:40Z
2023-05
2023-04-28
May 2023
2023-06-02T15:40:45Z
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/12843
Current methods of producing clean water are not capable of meeting growing demands. One method of producing clean water is through a process called desalination, which is the process of removing salt and other minerals from seawater. However, traditional desalination methods can be energy-intensive and generate significant amounts of waste. To help address these issues, a hybrid wave-to-water desalination system that combines reverse osmosis (RO) with supercritical water desalination (SCWD) can produce freshwater from seawater. SCWD treats the brine produced by RO, while RO produces freshwater at a lower energy cost. The system utilizes an oscillating surge wave energy converter (OSWEC) to harness the energy of ocean waves to directly pressurize the seawater feeding into the RO system. Using ocean waves as an energy source makes the system renewable and reduces the carbon footprint of the desalination process. This thesis presents the development of a simulation for a small-scale zero-waste desalination system powered by off-grid renewable energy. The model of the system was developed using MATLAB Simulink along with WEC-Sim. A sensitivity analysis was performed on the model to determine the optimal configuration of key system parameters. The sensitivity analysis was conducted using an irregular wave pattern with a significant wave height of 0.117 m and a period of 1.68 s. The parameters investigated in the sensitivity analysis were the system's power take-off (PTO) volumetric displacement, accumulator size, and RO membrane type. The results of the sensitivity analysis showed that the optimized system was the one that used an SW30HR-380 RO membrane, a PTO volumetric displacement of 1975 cm^3/rad, and a 10-gallon accumulator. The average water production rate for the optimized system was 32.644 gpm.
application/pdf
en
East Carolina University
Desalination
Renewable Energy
Wave Energy Converter
Wave-to-Water
Reverse Osmosis
Supercritical Water Desalination
Zero-Liquid-Discharge
Sensitivity Analysis
Simulating and Optimizing a Zero-Waste Wave-To-Water Desalination System
Master's Thesis
text
M.S.
Masters
MS-Mechanical Engineering
East Carolina University
Engineering
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/63582021-03-03T21:15:18Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1com_10342_122col_10342_44col_10342_124
Zhu, Zhen
Tucker, Bryent
Engineering
2017-08-09T16:00:13Z
2017-08-09T16:00:13Z
2017-08
2017-07-18
August 2017
2017-08-07T22:00:43Z
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/6358
Cardiac motion can be monitored non-invasively for the assessment of cardiovascular function by using medical imaging systems and motion tracking algorithms. Existing tracking approaches require a priori understanding of the non-rigid motion of the target system, which could change over multiple cardiac cycles and lead to tracking failures. The purpose of this research is to develop the algorithm and software, with computer vision techniques, to continuously track the motion of a user-defined region of the heart images. The proposed algorithm improves upon existing techniques because it does not require an underlying motion model, it quantifies the quality of tracking, and it can recover from a failed tracking estimate. The motion estimation of a non-rigid system will be done by a piecewise tracking approach that breaks up the region of interest into several small segments (patches), which can be approximated with interconnected pseudo-rigid segments. These segments will be initialized based on two criteria: 1) motion within a segment must follow the pseudo-rigid body model; and 2) motion in neighboring segments must be similar to each other. Segments are subsequently tracked as pseudo-rigid bodies, and the criteria described above are also used to detect failures in tracking. If a failure were to occur, the tracking algorithm will be reinitialized automatically. This algorithm was shown to be accurate and efficient, and has been tested on several heart motion data sets.
application/pdf
en
East Carolina University
Biomedical Engineering
Heart Motion Tracking
Heart--Imaging
Echocardiography--Digital techniques
Computer vision in medicine
Development of a Heart Motion Tracking System using Non-invasive Imaging Data
Master's Thesis
text
M.S.
Masters
MS-Biomedical Engineering
East Carolina University
Engineering
Open Access
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/95782022-02-01T08:15:45Zcom_10342_7351com_10342_6421com_10342_41com_10342_1col_10342_9479col_10342_44
Sylcott, Brian
Lin, Chia-Cheng
Williams, Keith
Hinderaker, Mark
2022-01-31T16:24:40Z
2022-01-31T16:24:40Z
2020-10-11
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/9578
10.2196/24950
Accurately measuring postural sway is an important part of balance assessment and rehabilitation. Although force plates give accurate measurements, their costs and space requirements make their use impractical in many situations. The work presented in this paper aimed to address this issue by validating a virtual reality (VR) headset as a relatively low-cost alternative to force plates for postural sway measurement. The HTC Vive (HTC Corporation) VR headset has built-in sensors that allow for position and orientation tracking, making it a potentially e?ective tool for balance assessments. Participants in this study were asked to stand upright on a force plate (NeuroCom; Natus Medical Incorporated) while wearing the HTC Vive. Position data were collected from the headset and force plate simultaneously as participants experienced a custom-built VR environment that covered their entire field of view. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to examine the test-retest reliability of the postural control variables, which included the normalized path length, root mean square (RMS), and peak-to-peak (P2P) value. These were computed from the VR position output data and the center of pressure (COP) data from the force plate. Linear regression was used to investigate the correlations between the VR and force plate measurements. Our results showed that the test-retest reliability of the RMS and P2P value of VR headset outputs (ICC: range 0.285-0.636) was similar to that of the RMS and P2P value of COP outputs (ICC: range 0.228-0.759). The linear regression between VR and COP measures showed significant correlations in RMSs and P2P values. Based on our results, the VR headset has the potential to be used for postural control measurements. However, the further development of software and testing protocols for balance assessments is needed.
ECU Open Access Publishing Support Fund
JMIR Publications
https://doi.org/10.2196/24950
postural sway
virtual reality (84)
force plate
center of pressure
Investigating the Use of Virtual Reality Headsets for Postural Control Assessment: An Instrument Validation Study
Article
Open Access
Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies
8
4
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/106782023-11-02T16:10:26Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1com_10342_122col_10342_44col_10342_124
Sylcott, Brian
Harr, David D
Engineering
2022-06-14T02:29:23Z
2023-05-01T08:01:58Z
2022-05
2022-05-02
May 2022
2022-06-07T16:42:53Z
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/10678
Innovation does not come about by random chance but is intentionally cultivated by the efforts of a designer. Many strategies exist for approaching design, ranging from the instinctual and intuitive to the more technical or analytical methods. When it comes to design, engineers are continually striving to improve the effectiveness of the design process. One area of the engineering design process deserving of attention is the ideation phase. Ideation refers to the brainstorming and idea generating activities that usually happen early in the design process. When faced with a problem engineers work to gather as many potential solutions as possible. Having a large body of initial ideas helps designers converge on an optimum final solution. Engineers have developed numerous analytical ideation tools to guide cognitive design processes and increase ideation productivity. This research investigates the effects of enhancing conceptual design tools in accordance with recommendations from the field of cognitive science. Pedagogy and learning theory literature frequently advocate for the use of multimodal representation. This refers to using multiple sensory avenues like text, sound, and visuals to communicate more effectively. A common application of this multimodal principle is to supplement text with visuals. This research investigates the impact of such a recommendation within the context of design ideation. An experiment was organized to evaluate the effect of adding visual icons to an analytical ideation tool. Using a panel of expert graders, the ideation results of engineering students were graded. This data was then statistically analyzed to look for correlations between the merit of the ideation outcomes and the presence/absence of visual icons. Ultimately, no correlation was found between increased merit in ideation outputs and the presence of visuals in the ideation tool. Upon reflection, it was proposed that there are simply other factors which had a bigger impact on the ideation results in the context of this experiment. Finally, the investigation added insight into the use of different parameters for measuring ideation effectiveness including quality, quantity, novelty, feasibility, and variety. The statistical analysis revealed that in this experiment a positive correlation existed between all five metrics. This implies that in certain applications researchers may be able to justify only using one criterion for evaluating creative ideation output.
application/pdf
en
East Carolina University
Multimodal
Ideation
Engineering design
Engineering--Study and teaching
Creative ability
Increasing Creative Output by Visually Enhancing Engineering Design Tools
Master's Thesis
text
M.S.
Masters
MS-Mechanical Engineering
East Carolina University
Engineering
Open Access
2023-05-01
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/122172023-02-09T08:16:17Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1col_10342_44
Bell, Natasha L.
Hitchcock, Daniel R.
2023-02-08T19:36:38Z
2023-02-08T19:36:38Z
2022-01-03
0047-2425
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/12217
10.1002/jeq2.20309
en_US
spatiotemporal relationships
water quality parameters
wastewater treatment wetland system
Spatiotemporal Water Quality Variability in a Highly Loaded Surface Flow Wastewater Treatment Wetland
Article
Journal of Environmental Quality
51
1
101-111
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/47992021-03-03T20:56:31Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1col_10342_44col_10342_72
Reis, John
Bryan, Alex
Engineering
2015-05-05T15:38:22Z
2020-05-07T08:01:51Z
2015-04
Abdelsalam,Rana. (2015). DESIGN OF A FORCE BIOFEEDBACK TOOTH EXTRACTION EDUCATIONAL DEVICE .unpublished manuscript, Honors College, East Carolina University, Greenville, N.C.
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/4799
The current jaw model used by students from the East Carolina School of Dental Medicine to practice tooth extractions does not accurately simulate the forces in a real human mouth. Originally multiple alternative designs were generated and divided into three different categories: tooth material, full or partial jaw, tooth attachment method, sensor type, and alert system. These alternatives were analyzed and the chosen ones were metal teeth for the tooth material, full jaw for the jaw type, fixed with pivot for the attachment method, strain gages on the forceps for the sensor type, and LED for the alarm system. After further analysis it was decided that the following changes would be made. Instead of having one full jaw, individual teeth were mounted on rectangular prism and cylindrical bases. Strain gages were placed on the side of the rectangular bases to determine bending moments and to the cylindrical bases to determine twisting moments applied to the teeth. The LED alarm system was used alert the user when certain moment thresholds are met. A prototype was built and tested and the design met the functional requirements of the engineering design specifications. Recommendations were provided to make the design more commercially feasible. Recommendations included assembling some of the electrical components in house, sending the models out to be manufactured by a third party, putting the LED lights closer to the model, and mounting the models in a way to better simulate a real extraction.
B.S.
Extractions
Forceps
Typodont head/mouths
DESIGN OF A FORCE BIOFEEDBACK TOOTH EXTRACTION EDUCATIONAL DEVICE
Honors Thesis
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/48292021-03-03T20:57:03Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1col_10342_44col_10342_72
Reis, John
Barefield, Layne
Engineering
2015-05-07T15:56:31Z
2020-05-07T08:01:51Z
2015-04-23
Barefield, Layne. (2015). Design of an Educational Tool Simulating Tooth Extraction Procedure. Unpublished manuscript, Honors College, East Carolina University, Greenville, N.C.
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/4829
Dental students need to develop clinical skills in determining the force applied during tooth extractions. A student must practice the procedure many times before attaining the appropriate skill level required for decision making during operations. A device is requested to improve proprioceptive experience and enhance operational practice while completing simple tooth extraction simulations. The current educational device being used by the ECU School of Dental Medicine as well as other institutions have been studied and analyzed. These educational devices lack a biopotential feedback mechanism and do not accurately mimic force requirements for simple tooth extractions. Ideation led to alternative design generation, in which each alternative was weighed against technical and economic feasibility criteria for selecting a preferred solution. A preferred device was designed, modeled, constructed, and tested in reflection to the design specifications and needs required by the users. Conclusions are stated for the final design with future recommendations on how the device can be improved, implemented, and commercialized.
East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine
Dr. Stevan Thompson
B.S.
Proprioception
Simple tooth extraction
Dental fracturing
Shear pin
Shear stress
3-D printing
Rapid prototyping
Biofeedback
Design of an Educational Tool Simulating Tooth Extraction Procedure
Honors Project
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/117552022-11-18T08:16:09Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1col_10342_44
Guan, Shanyue
Huang, Yilei
Wang, George
Sirianni, Hannah
Zhu, Zhen
2022-11-17T16:38:37Z
2022-11-17T16:38:37Z
2022-07-19
2504-446X
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/11755
10.3390/drones6070178
en_US
unmanned aerial systems (UAS)
point cloud
construction
An Error Prediction Model for Construction Bulk Measurements Using a Customized Low-Cost UAS-LIDAR System
Article
Drones
6
7
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/59342022-01-20T16:03:40Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1com_10342_122col_10342_44col_10342_124
Kim, Sunghan, 1975-
Cadmus, Matthew S
Engineering
2016-08-26T12:33:27Z
2016-08-26T12:33:27Z
2016-12
2016-07-21
December 2016
2016-08-25T16:11:50Z
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/5934
Current methods of diagnosing and monitoring stress include: observing changes in the severity of existing symptoms, the development of new symptoms, hormone level tests, and stress self-assessment surveys. Self-assessment surveys are subject to bias and false reporting. This project focuses on analyzing electroencephalogram (EEG) using Low Resolution Electromagnetic Tomography (LORETA) to identify differences within current source location of emotionally elicited event related potentials (ERPs), in order to aid physicians in stress diagnostics and management. For this study twenty-one participants took the Penn State Worry Questionnaire which classifies the participants into high-stress and low-stress groups. The individuals had their EEG recorded while viewing pleasant, neutral, and unpleasant stimuli. CURRY, the current reconstruction program, was used to filter, epoch, and average the data to obtain event related potentials (ERPs) for each participant. Using group-averaged ERPs as the data input, LORETA was used to calculate the current distribution within the brain. One and two-tailed t-tests were performed to examine for current source distribution differences between high-stress/low-stress conditions and pleasant, unpleasant and neutral stimuli. The results of the experiment indicate that there is a difference in current source location between high-stress and low-stress individuals. The current source distribution differences are within regions of the frontal lobe and the parietal lobe associated with emotional processing.
application/pdf
en
East Carolina University
emotion
LORETA
ERP
worry
Stress (Physiology)--Testing
Tomography
Electroencephalography
LOW RESOLUTION ELECTROMAGNETIC TOMOGRAPHY (LORETA) ANALYSIS OF THE BRAINS ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSE TO EMOTIONAL VISUAL STIMULI UNDER DIFFERING CONDITIONS
Master's Thesis
text
M.S.
Masters
MS-Biomedical Engineering
East Carolina University
Engineering
Open Access
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/106902023-09-21T15:44:34Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1com_10342_122col_10342_44col_10342_124
Ryan, Teresa
Wheeler, Mackenzie L
Engineering
2022-06-14T02:55:32Z
2022-11-01T08:01:55Z
2022-05
2022-04-25
May 2022
2022-06-07T16:42:48Z
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/10690
Preterm birth is defined as a baby being born before 37 weeks gestation and is a large problem, affecting 10% of all pregnancies in the United States and world annually. Preterm birth can result in lifelong complications for the infant or even death, considering the fetus continues developing vital organs throughout the last few weeks of pregnancy. Over the course of pregnancy, several layers and sub-layers are formed in order to protect the fetus from the external environment. Two of the most crucial layers that were heavily focused on throughout this project were the amnion and the chorion layers, which combine to make the placental membrane that surrounds the fetus. Preterm birth most often occurs due to mechanical failure of the membranes. Collagen proteins make up the strength and elasticity of the fetal membranes, supporting the fetus. If these proteins fail, this increases the chance of preterm birth occurring. A degrading enzyme, known as collagenase, often affects the membranes through bacteria and infections, breaking down the collagen fibers and leading to premature rupture of membranes or preterm pre-labor rupture of membranes. To study this process, a few different routes were taken. Artificial gels were tested on a nanoindentation machine to gather preliminary data to compare nanoindentation on real tissue. Artificial biomimetic membranes were also electrospun and mechanically tested on a macroscale. The goal of the biomimetic electrospun fiber mat is to be used to patch the woman's rupture site after pre-labor rupture of membranes occurs. Four different mat categories were fabricated: not treated crosslinked (NX), not treated uncrosslinked (NU), treated crosslinked (TX), and treated uncrosslinked (TU). Treatment indicates that they were placed in the oven. Human fetal membranes were also mechanically tested on a macroscale after being submerged and incubated at two different set times in a control solution and varying levels of collagenase concentrations, including 45 U/mL and 135 U/mL. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of natural tissues was then used to analyze the integrity of the collagen molecules. The results for this study indicate that through nanoindentation, the elastic modulus of two different types of hydrogels were consistently lower than anticipated. In regard to electrospinning, the uncrosslinked fiber mats have significantly greater strength than the crosslinked fiber mats. The fetal membrane results showed that overall, there was significant decrease in elastic modulus when membranes were submerged in a high collagenase concentration. Strength of the fetal membranes decreased significantly as collagenase concentration and incubation time increased. These findings suggest that collagenase buildup within the human body can potentially lead to preterm birth. Overall, this work sought to study the biomechanical properties of fetal membranes. In current literature, there have been strength and elastic modulus values of placental membranes obtained through different modes of testing, but never through biaxial puncture testing. This project focused on a new approach of mechanically testing placental membranes.
application/pdf
en
East Carolina University
Collagen
Electrospinning
Biomimetic
Hydrogel
Fetal membranes
Prematurely born children--United States
Collagenases
Characterization and Biomimetic Fabrication Study of Fetal Membranes for Understanding and Prevention of Preterm Birth
Master's Thesis
text
M.S.
Masters
MS-Biomedical Engineering
East Carolina University
Engineering
Open Access
2022-11-01
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/71082021-03-03T21:19:23Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1col_10342_44
Hinckley, Brian
Etheridge, Randall
Peralta, Ariane L.
Engineering
2019-03-15T17:51:48Z
2019-03-15T17:51:48Z
2019-03
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/7108
This dataset contains water quality, rainfall, and water level data collected from two waterfowl impoundments in eastern North Carolina during storm events. Each waterfowl impoundment has a separate file. The Ag file was collected from an area used for row crop agricultural production during the growing season and used as a waterfowl impoundment in the winter. The MSM file was collected from a moist soil managed waterfowl impoundment. Column headings indicate the parameter measured and the units. The same data is included for each storm.
Nitrogen
Waterfowl impoundments
Water quality
Storm Event Nitrogen Dynamics in Waterfowl Impoundments
Dataset
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/69432021-03-03T21:18:50Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1com_10342_122col_10342_44col_10342_124
Gowdy, Kymberly
Yaeger, Michael
Engineering
2018-08-14T14:20:05Z
2020-01-23T09:01:58Z
2018-08
2018-07-17
August 2018
2018-08-09T19:59:55Z
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/6943
Cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases are leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Studies report an inverse correlation between levels of serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and the severity of cardiovascular and lung diseases. HDL has also been shown to be anti-inflammatory, anti-atherosclerotic, and anti-oxidative. HDL's cardioprotective functions are well understood through the reverse cholesterol transport process. However, how HDL effects the immune system in the lungs is still unknown. We hypothesize that HDL is critical in preventing pulmonary injury from lipopolysaccharide (LPS) through inhibiting neutrophil (PMN) chemotaxis. While HDL is known to be biologically protective, it has also been reported that HDL can become dysfunctional (D-HDL) in chronic inflammatory diseases. HDL is characterized as dysfunctional when it does not perform its protective mechanisms. It has been challenging to study D-HDL, in part, because D-HDL is found in specific patient populations commonly burdened with comorbidities and subsequent medications. Apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I), the major protein component of HDL, is primarily responsible for HDL's beneficial properties. There are apoA-I mimetic peptides, such as L-4F, available to study the biological properties of HDL in both in vitro and in vivo models. However, there is no such research tool available to study D-HDL. Therefore, to better understand how D-HDL differs from HDL, we also sought to design a D-HDL mimetic peptide that can be used to examine the biological mechanisms of how HDL and D-HDL differ.
application/pdf
en
East Carolina University
HDL
LPS
Pulmonary
Dysfunctional HDL
Cholesterol
High density lipoproteins
Heart--Diseases
A NOVEL ROLE FOR HDL AND D-HDL IN PULMONARY IMMUNITY
Master's Thesis
text
M.S.
Masters
MS-Biomedical Engineering
East Carolina University
Engineering
Open Access
2019-08-01
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/75602021-03-03T21:25:02Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1col_10342_44
Proctor, Michelle
2019-12-02T15:42:50Z
2019-12-02T15:42:50Z
2015-10-13
US Pat# US9155923B2
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/7560
Portable personal respiratory protection devices include a self-contained head gear member with a chin collar that has a front segment that defines a mouth portion and attaches to a back segment that resides over ears of a user and extends about a lower back segment of a head of the user. The head gear includes a visually transmissive face mask extending upwardly from the front segment of the chin collar that, in position, sealably engages a face of the user. The head gear has an open upper portion residing between an outer upper perimeter of the face mask and the back segment of the chin collar that, when worn, is adapted to expose a top and upper rear portion of a head of the user to environmental conditions
en_US
https://patents.google.com/patent/US9155923?oq=inassignee:%22East+Carolina%22
agriculture
respiratory
invention
Portable respirators suitable for agricultural workers
Patent
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/60462021-03-03T21:09:53Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1com_10342_122col_10342_44col_10342_124
Castles, Ricky T.
Cranwell, Bryce A.
Engineering
2017-01-11T22:15:31Z
2018-01-23T17:31:57Z
2016-12
2016-12-16
December 2016
2017-01-11T14:33:25Z
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/6046
Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic condition that must be routinely self-monitored to prevent life threatening complications, diabetic coma, and to mitigate long-term complications, such as neuropathy and kidney failure. Despite these risks, many people with diabetes do not properly self-monitor. An often cited reason for not properly self-monitoring is the discomfort associated with the lancing procedure. To alleviate the need for finger-sticks, this research has focused on a non-invasive blood glucose monitoring technique by combining electroencephalography (EEG) with artificial neural networks (ANN). Eleven volunteers participated in three, hour-long, recording sessions. Not all volunteers completed all sessions. During this time the volunteer's blood glucose level (BGL) was monitored in fifteen-minute increments, with the exception of the fifteenth minute. At fifteen minutes into the data collection, the volunteers drank a 52g carbohydrate load. EEG data was recorded continuously over the data collection period. From the EEG data, frequency features were extracted and used to train an ANN that would predict the users BGL based upon EEG input. This data was used to determine which channels that correlated most strongly with glucose levels, determined the optimal number of neurons used for the training algorithm, and finally trained/tested an ANN. The channels that corresponded most consistently and strongly are channels AF4, F4, F8, FC5, O1, O2, and P8. The optimal number of neurons for the network was determined to be 99 neurons. Ultimately, the method of training an ANN to non-invasively predict BGLs has moderate success, but needs more research to be conclusive.
application/pdf
en
East Carolina University
Brain Activity
Brain Metabolism
Blood sugar monitoring--Technological innovations
Diabetes
Electroencephalography
Neural networks (Neurobiology)
Machine learning
Utilizing Brain Activity to Non-Invasively Predict Blood Glucose Levels
Master's Thesis
text
M.S.
Masters
MS-Biomedical Engineering
East Carolina University
Engineering
Open Access
2018-01-11
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/124232023-03-20T18:34:42Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1col_10342_44
Limberis, Loren
Batsos, Georgios
et al
2023-03-20T18:34:42Z
2023-03-20T18:34:42Z
2022
1471-2415
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/12423
10.1186/s12886-022-02733-z
en_US
Lipocalin-2
Diabetic macula edema
Angiogenic factors
Vitreous Infammatory and Angiogenic Factors on Patients with Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy or Diabetic Macular Edema: the Role of Lipocalin2
Article
BMC Ophthalmology
22
1
496
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/61472021-03-03T21:13:58Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1com_10342_122col_10342_44col_10342_124
Ryan, Teresa
Abdelsalam, Rana
Engineering
2017-05-31T14:12:54Z
2017-05-31T14:12:54Z
2017-05
2017-04-27
May 2017
2017-05-30T17:05:08Z
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/6147
Dental crowns account for a large percentage of restorative dental procedures, but the crown materials have been shown to cause wear on the natural opposing tooth. There is uncertainty regarding which mechanical or chemical process is the exact cause of wear. The premise of this work is that wear on the natural opposing enamel is due to lack of salivary adherence on the crown material, rather than the surface roughness of crown materials. The purpose of this work is to evaluate the presence of salivary lubrication on dental crown materials by measuring liquid contact angle on different material samples. The following dental crown materials types were evaluated: resin nano-ceramics, leucite-reinforced glass-ceramics, feldspathic porcelain, lithium disilicate glass ceramic, and zirconia. A Ram[copyright]·-Hart Drop Image goniometer was used for the contact angle measurements along with an image processing software that was developed in MATLAB to complement the goniometer measurements. Statistical analysis was done via JMP software using the Tukey-Kramer method for multiple comparison analysis of the different materials. The results showed that some crown material were more hydrophobic than others, hence adequate wetting of the material did not occur. The resin nano-ceramics material is the most hydrophobic dental crown material with a contact angle of 60.5[degrees], while zirconia is the most hydrophilic material with a contact angle of 20.4[degrees]. MATLAB angle measurements supported the goniometer measurements. The contact angle measurements obtained from this work correlate with wear studies by a number of authors. This work provides the first known experimental results to investigate the effect of lubrication on different crown materials.
application/pdf
en
East Carolina University
Contact angle
Crowns (Dentistry)
Goniometers
Saliva
Fluid Contact Angle Assessment to Evaluate Wetting of Dental Materials
Master's Thesis
text
M.S.
Masters
MS-Biomedical Engineering
East Carolina University
Engineering
Open Access
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/66652021-03-03T21:17:06Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1col_10342_44
Beig Heidari, Rouzbeh
2018-04-23T15:32:51Z
2018-04-23T15:32:51Z
2018-03-28
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/6665
Presented at the 2018 Research and Creative Achievement Week, March 26-April 2, 2018, at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina.
The current technological development of smartphones makes it possible to use them in identifying environmental health hazards. Based on the known information about mold types and their reproductive routines, economically affordable smartphone attachable microscope were used in detecting mold types. This microscope kit is designed in compatibility with most of the popular smartphones and it is simple to install. The microscope macro lens system is capable of producing 200X magnification with a satisfying sharpness and resolution. Sample images from various moisture level (wet/dry), surface coarseness (smooth/coarse),and lighting condition (bright/dark) combinations were taken and analyzed to fully examine the capabilities of the microscope to identify molds. The microscope is capable of distinguishing between mold and common categories that could be confused for mold with a bare eye. This design will make mold detection process more convenient and cost beneficial for consumers such as flooding victims.
Dr. Jason Yao & ECU Space Grant
en_US
Mold
Molds
Smartphone
Cellphone
Health Hazards
Environmental health
Microscope
Mold detection
Identifying Mold Heath Hazards Using Smartphone-based Microscope
Poster
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/123602023-02-28T08:16:24Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1col_10342_44
Ryan, Teresa
Foeller, Jeffry
Cobb, Faith
et al
2023-02-27T17:29:31Z
2023-02-27T17:29:31Z
2022-08-01
2084-879X
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/12360
10.1515/noise-2022-0008/pdf
en_US
atmospheric acoustics
transmission loss
meteorological mapping
Synchronized Acoustic and Atmospheric Measurement System for Characterization of Atmospheric Sound Propagation
Article
Noise Mapping
9
1
109-112
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/63992021-03-03T21:15:21Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1com_10342_122col_10342_44col_10342_124
George, Stephanie
Rabidou, Jake
Engineering
2017-08-09T16:45:35Z
2019-02-26T14:23:55Z
2017-08
2017-07-19
August 2017
2017-08-07T22:23:18Z
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/6399
Pulmonary hypertension (PH), as defined by a mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) greater than 25 mmHg, is a life-threatening chronic disorder of the pulmonary circulation which leads to right ventricle failure and if untreated, death. The purpose of this work was to use both, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD), to quantify changes in wall shear stress (WSS) throughout the pulmonary artery (PA) of a pulmonary hypertension (PH) population when compared to a normotensive control subject. With the future goal of this knowledge potentially being used to diagnose PH non-invasively. Patient's PA's were recreated using MRIs and MIMICS software. Velocity profiles were generated from the MRIs using MATLAB and CFD simulations were conducted using Fluent 17.0. Overall, the data followed a similar trend to published data where the control subject showed an approximately 1.5 to 3.5 times increase in WSS when compared to the PH subjects. The control subject showed a maximum of 5.596 dyn/cm2 while the PH subjects ranged from 1.521 to 3.151 dyn/cm2. This work can serve as the groundwork for further CFD simulations however, future work needs to be done with both a larger population size, potentially modeling further into the pulmonary vasculature as well as attempting different methods of data post-processing.
application/pdf
en
East Carolina University
FLUENT
ANSYS
Wall Shear Stress (WSS)
mPAP
MRI
Right Heart Catheterization (RHC)
Hemodynamics
Pulmonary artery
Pulmonary hypertension
Magnetic resonance imaging
Computational fluid dynamics
Pulmonary Artery Hemodynamics Using MRI & CFD
Master's Thesis
text
M.S.
Masters
MS-Biomedical Engineering
East Carolina University
Engineering
Open Access
2018-08-01
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/44532021-03-03T20:56:44Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1col_10342_44col_10342_72
Howard, William E
Gurganus, Sarah C
Engineering
2014-08-06T20:21:27Z
2015-08-06T06:30:12Z
2014
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/4453
Parts produced by 3-D printers were tested to determine the mechanical properties and failure modes. Since 3-D printed parts are built up layer-by-layer, they do not have the same properties in all directions. In order to determine the properties of the parts, tensile tests, compression tests, and bending tests were being performed per American Society of Testing and Materials standards. Additionally, a shear testing method is being developed that eliminates the need for specialized fixtures. A size effect was discovered where there is increased strength and modulus for parts with a large outer surface area to inner area ratio. Through the tensile, compression, and bending tests, it was discovered that vertically built specimens have about half the tensile and bending stress of horizontally built specimens. Additionally, the variation between strength values in tension and bending is greater for vertically built specimens than it is for horizontally built specimens. The initial build point has been identified as a stress concentration for 3-D printed parts. Understanding how 3-D-printed parts act under loads and how they fail is important to determining the applications for which the parts can be used. The information on these properties will allow manufacturers using 3-D printers to design better functional parts.
16 p.
3-D printer
Rapid prototyping machine
Characterization
Failure
Manufacturing
CHARACTERIZATION OF SOLID MODELS PRODUCED BY RAPID PROTOTYPING MACHINES
Undergraduate Thesis
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/74632021-03-03T21:23:29Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1com_10342_122col_10342_44col_10342_124
Muller-Borer, Barbara J.
Myers, Victoria
Engineering
2019-08-22T12:26:13Z
2019-08-22T12:26:13Z
2019-08
2019-07-18
August 2019
2019-08-19T17:41:13Z
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/7463
Tissue engineering is a field within regenerative medicine that promotes the regeneration/repair of damaged or diseased tissue and organs. This field focuses on three aspects: cells, growth factors, and scaffolds to achieve a successful implantable tissue/organ. Electrospun scaffolds are a common platform for tissue engineering applications. The objective of this project was to evaluate electrospun scaffolds' composition using poly (ethylene oxide) and ß- lactoglobulin with the incorporation of a wound healing protein, thymosin beta-4. The overall goal was to augment the biocompatibility characteristics of the scaffold, enhance the cellular microenvironment, and improve human mesenchymal stem cell cytocompatibility. Data was collected using multiple techniques such as goniometry and cell viability assays. The data was analyzed using either paired t-tests or analysis of variance (ANOVA). The analyzes compared treatments to determine Tß4's effect on cell proliferation and integration. Though the results did not reflect statistical significance, the results suggest that Tß4 did not promote cell proliferation and did not cause adverse reactions. Although Tß4 did promote cell integration with the scaffold's microenvironment. Successful growth and integration of cells on fabricated scaffolds are critical to the development and study of 3D tissue structures. Therefore, this approach has the potential to further research into alternative therapies for wound healing.
application/pdf
en
East Carolina University
Thymosin-Beta-4
Nanofiber
Coating
Tissue engineering
Tissue scaffolds
Analysis of Electrospun Tβ4 Coated Scaffolds: A Tissue Engineering Study
Master's Thesis
text
M.S.
Masters
MS-Biomedical Engineering
East Carolina University
Engineering
Restricted Campus Access Only
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/118052022-12-03T08:16:41Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1col_10342_44
Smith, Raymond L.
Biddell, Caitlin B.
2022-12-02T18:39:04Z
2022-12-02T18:39:04Z
2022-08-16
2296-2565
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/11805
10.3389/fpubh.2022.906602
en_US
COVID-19
community health
crisis response
Cross-Sector Decision Landscape in Response to COVID-19: A Qualitative Network Mapping Analysis of North Carolina Decision-Makers
Article
Frontiers in Public Health
10
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/117452022-11-16T08:16:24Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1col_10342_44
Middleton, Shea
Dimbath, Elizabeth
Pant, Anup
George, Stephanie M.
Vahdati, Ali
Peach, M. Sean
Yang, Kaida
Ju, Andrew W.
Maddipati, Veeranna
2022-11-15T18:20:04Z
2022-11-15T18:20:04Z
2022
0010-4825
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/11745
10.1016/j.compbiomed.2022.105513
en_US
Pulmonary mechanics
Acute respiratory distress syndrome
Computer modeling
Towards a Multi-Scale Computer Modeling Workflow for Simulation of Pulmonary Ventilation in Advanced COVID-19
Article
Computers in Biology and Medicine
145
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/106552023-11-02T16:43:05Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1com_10342_122col_10342_44col_10342_124
Liu, Yang (Professor of Engineering)
Zieg, Parker
Engineering
2022-06-09T19:11:35Z
2022-06-09T19:11:35Z
2022-05
2022-04-29
May 2022
2022-06-07T16:42:49Z
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/10655
Blast waves, which are generated by the sudden energy release in a finite space, are encountered in various situations. As the blast/shock waves propagate, any object in its path can be damaged by the combination of significant compression behind the shock front and the subsequent complex flow-structure interactions. Insufficient protection from blast loads has led to a significant loss of human lives and enormous structural damage and economic loss, highlighting the importance of developing effective blast/shock mitigation technologies. However, due to the lack of fundamental knowledge in the flow-structure interactions in various blast/shock conditions, the conventional methods of mitigating blast/shock have relied on the brutal use of various cladding rigid/soft materials where the coupling between the flow and structures is usually ignored. Challenges remain in understanding the complex flow-structure interactions driven by the rapidly-evolving nonlinear blast/shock waves. In this thesis, a series of experiments were carried out in the East Carolina University Advanced Blast Wave Simulator (ECU-ABWS) to characterize the flow-structure interactions (particularly the flow-airfoil interactions) under various blast/shock conditions. While the incident (side-on) pressures at multiple locations along the blast propagation were measured by using a temporally-resolved multi-point pressure sensing system, the time-evolutions of blast-airfoil interactions were also qualitatively revealed by using a high-speed Schlieren imaging system. A high-accuracy force/moment measurement system was also developed and used to determine the aerodynamic responses of the airfoil structure under various blast conditions. The understanding of these interactions allows for the further development of more efficient blast/shock mitigation techniques.
application/pdf
en
East Carolina University
blast waves
flow-structure interaction
supersonic
aerodynamics
blast/shock mitigation
Shock waves--Measurement
Blast effect
Structural analysis (Engineering)
Experimental Studies of Flow-Structure Interactions in Blast/Shock-Driven Complex Flows
Master's Thesis
text
M.S.
Masters
MS-Mechanical Engineering
East Carolina University
Engineering
Open Access
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/128882023-06-05T14:08:42Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1com_10342_122col_10342_44col_10342_124
Echerd, Jon Owen
Engineering
2023-06-05T14:08:42Z
2023-05
2023-05-03
May 2023
2023-06-02T15:40:50Z
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/12888
Product designers are constantly seeking insight into the mind of the consumer in efforts to get a better idea as to what the market demands. Feedback from consumers informs designers on changes that need to be made to a product and can provide information about what end-users expect. To explore possible improvements to the design process, a study was conducted on concept representation style and its effects on consumer preferences. The study employed statistical testing to identify a relationship between representation style and consumer preference consistency, lending insight into the best practices for conveying critical information throughout the design process. The study described in this thesis consists of conducting a series of surveys, introducing hand drawings, solid models, and realistic renderings as representations of eyeglass frames to participants, eliciting preference data from those participants, and comparing their preference ratings to those of physical models of the same frames. This study was supplemented with an eye-tracking system to establish a connection of where the effective details lie in the design representations, as well as suggest some decision-making strategies at play. Results indicate that a significant difference in consistency between representation styles does exist, and that CAD solid models are inconsistent with preferences of physical models. When only participants with an engineering background were evaluated however, this relationship did not exist, suggesting that a familiarity with a particular design practice may impact how individuals judge a particular representation style. It is also suggested by eye-tracking analysis that participants were more likely to give semantic responses when observing physical models.
application/pdf
en
East Carolina University
Engineering Design
Consumer Preference
Product Design
Human Factors
IDENTIFYING A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DESIGN CONCEPT REPRESENTATION STYLE AND CONSUMER PRODUCT PREFERENCE
Master's Thesis
text
2024-05-01
2024-05-01
M.S.
Masters
MS-Mechanical Engineering
East Carolina University
Engineering
oai:TheScholarship.intra.ecu.edu:10342/70822022-12-09T15:36:36Zcom_10342_41com_10342_1com_10342_122col_10342_44col_10342_124
Castles, Ricky T.
Potts, John L
Engineering
2019-02-15T13:35:48Z
2019-02-15T13:35:48Z
2018-12
2018-12-12
December 2018
2019-01-08T21:14:14Z
http://hdl.handle.net/10342/7082
The accurate measurement of pain is important to physicians for medical decision making. Pain is considered to be the largest health-related burden to society as well as the leading cause of long-term disability worldwide. The goal of this study was to give health care providers a more objective way to assess pain presence and intensity, and thus allow for more effective patient interventions. The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) was used to assess pain intensity. This study focused on acute, nociceptive pain and its relation to a combined salivary alpha amylase (sAA), salivary cortisol (sC), and total protein count metric. Since other studies have shown high correlations between sAA and pain intensity, sAA is also excreted in response to stress, and sC responds to stress but not pain, the hypothesis was that a combined metric ((sAA/100 + sC) /Total Protein) would render an even higher correlation with acute nociceptive pain. A total of 24 participants were recruited for this study, with 14 being experimental (in pain) and 10 being controls (no pain). The data were analyzed using linear regression analysis. There was no discernable correlation between sAA and pain ranging from 0-10 (r=0.250,p=0.288) and no correlation between (sAA/100 + sC) /Total Protein and pain intensity for pain 0-10 (r=-0.049,p=0.838). This study, because of the available literature, was built on the assumption that sAA already correlated moderately with pain intensity, but the data do not support this assumption. Due to how weak the relationship was with the originally-hypothesized metric, the data were analyzed to derive a better combined metric. Multiple metrics, utilizing salivary alpha amylase, salivary cortisol, and total protein count were analyzed. None of the metrics involving total protein produced statistically significant results. One metric, which combined portions of salivary alpha amylase with portions of salivary cortisol readings, (sAA-14*sC)^0.6, showed promising results. The correlation between (sAA-14*sC)^0.6 and pain intensity for pain 0-10 (r=0.287,p=0.157) was nonexistent, but also not statistically significant. When the focus is narrowed to pain ranging from 0-6 (no pain to moderate pain), the correlation between sAA and pain becomes high (r=0.761,p<0.001). In the 0-6 range, (sAA-14*sC)^0.6 shows an even higher correlation than sAA alone (r=0.787,p<0.001). A high correlation (r=0.700,p<0.05) was noted when the age range was narrowed to participants under the age of 65 for pain 0-6. Even though 0-6 only covers no pain, mild pain, and moderate pain, differences on the lower end (such as a 3 being reduced to a 2) still translate into large percentage reductions in pain, leading to higher quality of life. This led to the conclusion that (sAA-14*sC)^0.6, utilizing whole, unstimulated saliva, may be a viable method for research aimed at quantifiably measuring pain in participants, especially those who are experiencing pain between 0 and 6 (0 and 60 mm on the VAS).
application/pdf
en
East Carolina University
salivary alpha amylase
salivary cortisol
Pain--Testing
Salivary glands
Chemical and Physical Correlates to Pain
Master's Thesis
text
M.S.
Masters
MS-Biomedical Engineering
East Carolina University
Engineering
Restricted Campus Access Only