Office of Research: Purdue School of Engineering and Technology, IUPUI

Office of Research

Abstracts for E&T Summer Research Symposium

Perez Agaba (Mangilal Agarwal) UROP

ALCOHOL SENSORS FOR TRANSPORT-SAFETY APPLICATION USING NANOTECHNOLOGY

The objective of this research project is to fabricate and test Alcohol Sensors for Transport-Safety Application. Alcohol is a drug that severely affects the central nervous system. It has devastating effects, including high death rate occurring in cases of driving while intoxicated. Hence, there is a need for effective sensors to monitor alcohol consumption. The various technological methods that have been used for testing breath alcohol include semiconductor (e.g. tin oxide sensors), electrochemical (fuel cell), wet chemistry, photo spectroscopy, gas chromatography and infra-rRed spectroscopy. The sensor that is being developed can be used in a variety of settings, including the kitchen, office, cars, etc., to notify individuals of their blood alcohol content using the breath test. The basic techniques or methods considered for the sensor under develpment are those of semiconductor (tin oxide sensors) and fuel-cell based sensors, combined with nanotechnology. The advantages of the developed alcohol sensor are low cost, ease of fabrication, ease of use, high level of accuracy, small size, durability, and high sensitivity as compared to various other sensors. Moreover, different choices of sensing material can be used for the optimization of the sensor-device platform under development.

Chia Lei Ang (Tien-Min Chu) UROP

QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF CALCIUM PHOSPHATE CEMENT COMPOSITION USING RIETVELD REFINEMENT

Calcium phosphate cement is a ceramic material that is used for bone repair. Its advantages include biocompatibility, osteoconductivity, injectability, resorbability, and the ability to conform to the shape of a bone defect. Dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (DCPD) cement is of interest because of its high solubility at physiologic conditions, which translates to enhanced resorbability and bone formation in vivo. However, conversion of DCPD to hxdroxyapatite (HA), which can occur because DCPD is metastable compared to HA, can reduce the resorbability of the cement. Previously, we performed a degradation study using different DCPD cement formulations and noted that using HA as a cement reactant accelerates the conversion of DCPD to HA. Therefore, we are interested in quantitatively evaluating cement composition during degradation using powder x-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinement analysis. The objective of this study was to develop phase models for the different

Winfred Asante (Eliza Du and Julie Le Blanc) Team #5 MURI and McNair

Biometrics is a process in which a human subject can be recognized or identified through his/her biological traits. The most conventional example is that of fingerprint recognition as it has been widely used. However, the project’s main purpose is to optimize the process of iris recognition. The iris is a system that offers a significant amount of pattern which can, in many cases, be difficult to retrieve depending on iris color. This project is a systematic attempt to increase the accuracy of iris recognition through the use of data obtained in different regions throughout the color and infrared spectrum. Therefore a fusion of data obtained from different wavelengths of light will bring about more data for recognition thus achieving a more distinct pattern.

Todd Dodge (Huanmei Wu and Yuenian Zhang) Team #14 MURI

ACCURACY ASSESSMENT OF THE CYBERKNIFE PREDICTION MODEL

The CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System is a relatively new radiation treatment modality developed to accurately treat moving tumors induced by patient free breathing during real-time radiation treatment. Due to the system latency and imaging rate, prediction of tumor position in a future time instance (115 ms for the CyberKnife) is required for effective radiation treatment. The goal of this project is to evaluate the current prediction model used with the CyberKnife System. Data from 97 treatment fractions for 21 different de-identified lung cancer patients receiving therapy at the CyberKnife of Indianapolis facility is investigated in the study. The predicted tumor motion of 115 ms in the future and the observed tumor motion at the same time (through a correlation model with external markers) are available at 30 Hz. The predicted tumor position from the prediction model will be compared with the actual tumor position during the treatment. The errors will be statistically analyzed with different patient biomedical information, such as the tumor location in the lungs. The errors with other prediction models will also be compared to optimize the prediction models. The statistical analysis results of prediction errors for a fraction of patient treatment, the whole course of treatment, the combined treatment for all patients, and for patients with tumors in the same lung location will be summarized and compared. The final information, such as the minimum, maximum, average, and histogram will be illustrated. By improving the prediction model, the margin expansion area of the radiation beam could be made smaller. With this improvement, the CyberKnife could become an even greater weapon in the battle against cancer.

Brittnee Dumas (Michele Roberts) McNair

THE E-PORTAL: A WEB RESOURCE REPOSITORY FOR IUPUI’s E-PORTFOLIO

The purpose of this project is to develop and implement a website that will serve as a portal for the E-Portfolio initiative at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis. EPortal’s purpose is to educate potential stakeholders including advisors, students, and faculty, administrators, employers, and transfer students on the potential benefits of using IUPUI’s EPortfolio. Providing training material, information on potential applications, case studies, troubleshooting, and research, EPortal will take on different roles appropriate for each stakeholder. The development of the site reflects the research this team has conducted during the project. Interviews with stakeholders reveal what functionality should be included in the site and how that information is presented. The portal has a presence that establishes a brand-like feel to EPortfolio. To maintain operable transitions between IUPUI’s main homepage and EPortal, the navigation has a similar flow and hierarchy. EPortal not only works as a marketing tool but also to create a need with the stakeholders. Retaining flexibility, EPortal provides news and development advances of EPortfolio. EPortal showcases unique uses by faculty and staff exploring the creative uses of EPortfolio. Sections are dedicated to each stakeholder and provide benefit related information, training materials and case studies. Benefit information includes potential applications that can be utilized in and out of the classroom. Training materials such as tutorials and podcasts allows the stakeholders to become familiar with the operations of EPortfolio. Special sections are dedicated to case studies describing the success other universities have had with the implementation of EPortfolio. As a marketing tool EPortal raises awareness on and off campus. Presenting the benefits to the stakeholders should create a positive acceptance on campus. Establishing this creates a base in which EPortfolio will be able to grow with greater potential. The portal reflects and expresses IUPUI’s commitment to its Principles of Undergraduate Learning.

Elias K. Ekoubazgie (Barbara Christe, Elaine Cooney, and Richard Rogers) Team #1 MURI

IMPACT ANALYSIS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN RFID ASSET TRACKING SYSTEM IN THE CLINICAL SETTING.

The study will analyze the impact of a radio frequency identification (RFID) system in a clinical setting. MURI participants will explore the fundamentals of RFID and the clinical environment, specifically the installation and use of an asset location system produced by RadarFind. This assessment will be broken into three main topics for the group to study. First, an impact analysis will examine changes in medical technology management and equipment support by clinical engineering. Secondly, changes in nursing and patient care will be examined. Thirdly, project participants will investigate the financial impact of real time asset location on accounting practices, patient billing, and equipment inventory. Analysis of the return of investment by the case study hospital will be conducted. Furthermore, the research will be performed as a case study of Our Lady of Lourdes hospital in New Jersey with flow analysis of equipment and assessment of technology prior to the asset tracking system's implementation and after it was implemented, along with benchmark analysis and surveys. Preliminary research has already been made prior to the site visit – involving an insightful interview with one of IU Medical Hospital’s clinical engineers on their own efforts in trying to cope without an RFID tracking system, issues in preventative maintenance, relations among the staff, how employees feel about not being able to locate equipment, and so forth. In the end observations and results will be shared in a peer-reviewed journal after completion of the site visit.

Derek Elliot (Huamei Wu and Yuenian Zhang) Team #14 MURI

MARGIN EXPANSION FOR CYBERKNIFE TREATMENT

The purpose of this study is to assess the ability of the CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System to provide effective treatment for a lung tumor. CyberKnife is used to treat moving tumors. These tumors are typically located in the torso of the patient. In the case of this study, these tumors are located in the lung. The typical treatment of these moving tumors requires the beam of radiation to be expanded large enough to cover the tumor for the duration of treatment. While effective, this means of treatment harms a lot of healthy tissue. CyberKnife has the ability to monitor the movement of the tumor by using three infrared markers placed on the chest and three to four markers located directly around the tumor. By correlating the information gained by these systems, the tumor can be monitored for the duration of the treatment. This method does contain some amount of error. To compensate for this error, the volume of the treatment must be expanded. This margin expansion must be calculated so that 90% of the tumor is treated at all times. This method allows the total area of treatment to be decreased and focused on the tumor. This ability allows less healthy tissue to be harmed during treatment. By bettering radiation treatment provided by the CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System, the harm and side effects of radiation can be greatly reduced.

Lili Farhandi (Jian Xie and Fan Xu) Team # 16 MURI

INVESTIGATION OF THE IONOMER NETWORK IN A CATALYST LAYER AND ITS EFFECT O THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PERFORMANCE OF PEFC DURING

The basic technology of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) is the membrane electrode assembly (MEA). Nafion membrane electrolyte is bounded into two porous catalyst layers which form the MEA structure. Nafion ionomer’s action is similar to a binder and it builds the necessary proton transport pathways. The composite catalyst layer contains recast Nafion ionomer and the precious Pt metal catalyst nano particle sitting on the surface of carbon aggregates. The cost and performance of PEFCs have limitations mostly because of the MEA.

Major problems in this project are particle growth, catalyst degradation, carbon corrosion and ionomer network degradation. The degradation of the fuel cell has massive influence on the durability of PEFC, because the minimum life time of PEFC should be 5000h.The main problem with Nafion ionomer network is the difficulty on the separation of the Nafion ionomer network form the catalyst layer. The Nafion ionomer network has the key role in the durability of the catalyst layer/MEA because the loss of the catalyst particles from the catalyst layer is the result of degradation of Nafion ionomer which will cause the PEFC’s performance to decrease. Therefore, the study of microstructure change of ionomer network and its effect on the PEFC performance is very important.

Danielle Gowin ( Barbara Christe, Elaine Cooney, and Richard Rogers) Team # 1 MURI

IMPACT ANALYSIS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN RFID ASSET TRACKING SYSTEM IN THE CLINICAL SETTING

Hilliary Groff (Julie Ji) UROP

THE EFFECT OF SUBSTRATE STIFFNESS ON ENDOTHELIAL CELL ATTACHMENT, MORPHOLOGY, AND RESPONSES TO FLUID SHEAR STRESS

Cells are continuously sensing and responding to not only biochemical but also mechanical signals such as forces of shear or strain from neighboring cells, extracellular matrix, or the surrounding microenvironment. Endothelial cells that line the blood vessel wall are constantly exposed hemodynamic forces of blood flow, and their responses to shear stress play a significant role in the development of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis. At the same time, these cells exist as a monolayer on the basement membrane, a flexible substrate that moves with the vessel wall. The stiffness of the substrate on which cells are seeded greatly affects cell attachment, morphology, and stress fiber formation. Utilizing a flow chamber that accommodates cells plated on either glass or silicone membrane, we will examine the effect of flow induced shear stress on endothelial cells on both hard (glass) and soft (membrane) substrates. First, to optimize adhesion conditions, bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC) were placed on silicone membrane, polystyrene, or glass surfaces, with each substrate coated with either: fibronectin, collagen, gelatin, or nothing. Cells were imaged hourly after seeding, and cell attachment and spreading were analyzed quantitatively by calculating surface area and perimeter. After 24 hours, cells were fixed and stained using fluorescent probes for cytoskeleton structures in order to analyze stress fibers. Our data confirms that cells attach and spread significantly better on stiffer substrates (glass and plastic), and coating with fibronectin or collagen enhances cell attachment. Subsequent study will incorporate the effect of shear stress on cells plated on glass versus silicone membrane, and the effect of substrate stiffness on shear induced gene expression and cytoskeleton changes will be examined. This study will include substrate effects into flow induced mechanical activation of endothelial cells.

Ching-Sheng Hsiao (Eliza Du and Julie Le Blanc) Team # 5 MURI

COMPUTER-ASSISTED IDENTIFICATION OF CELIAC GANGLIA DURING ENDOSCOPIC ULTRASOUND-GUIDED CELIAC PLEXUS NEUROLYSIS (EUS-CPN)

30% to 50% of patients with pancreatic cancer are undergoing treatment, and up to 90% of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer experience pain. There are several methods to help the patients to avoid tentative pain, and the Endoscopic Ultrasound-guided Celiac Plexus Neurolysis (EUS-CPN) is one of the efficient methods to achieve goal. Since the procedures take much experience to achieve the accuracy, an inexperienced doctor may only be able to identify the targets as low as 10% to 20%. Although the EUS-CPN is one of the efficient treatments for patients to relief the pain, the accuracy to identify the targeted nerve, celiac ganglia of the plexus, is up to 50% by experienced physician operators. The aim of this research project is to increase the probability to identify desired nerves celiac ganglia. As a result, the operation can be more precise and more efficient. In order to see the unique property of celiac ganglia, the research team uses an engineering program, Matlab, to analyze targeted area and areas which are similar to the targets. As long as there is any difference between celiac ganglia and other nerves, digital image processing can analyze the images and videos and identify the visible property of celiac ganglia. Before the research project begun, members in the research team had basic digital-image-processing training. The team now has a good approach of digital images of the ultrasound images. As long as the images are analyzed with no critical issues, the analysis will be applied to ultrasound videos.

Scott Humphreys (Scott Deal and Chuiyuan Meng) Team # 3 MURI

SOFTWARE AND IT SOLUTIONS FOR THE AUKUSALAQ GLOBAL TELEMATIC OPERA PROJECT.

The purpose of the project is to develop IT software solutions related to the production of Auksulaq, a telematic opera designed to be performed in real time at multiple locations across the globe. The aim of this study is to create a customized synthesis of current applications relating to internet transmission of high fidelity audio and high definition video streaming, synchronization, and integration with existing media and live player. ConferenceXP, a videoconferencing platform originally developed by Microsoft, gives the project an advantage by not starting from scratch, shortening the time and people required to implement the goals of the project. The project assumes the role of upgrading ConferenceXP with optimized HD encoding, multichannel audio support, support of third party applications, enhanced user interface, and the ability to be multiplatform. The research approach is to evaluate and alter, if needed, preexisting software that can support ConferenceXP with those upgrades and compare and contrast the software options by looking at their technical and usability aspects to create a customized synthesis of current applications.

Andrew Kazacoff (Eliza Du and Julie Le Blanc) Team # 5 MURI

COMPUTER-ASSISTED IDENTIFICATION OF CELIAC GANGLIA DURING ENDOSCOPIC ULTRASOUND-GUIDED CELIAC PLEXUS NEUROLYSIS (EUS-CPN)

EUS-CPN is a procedure to reduce pain in patients suffering primarily from pancreatic cancer or chronic pancreatitis by numbing celiac plexus nerve bundles. The main difficulties in this procedure are the identification of the celiac ganglia due to the noisy ultrasound image and the targeting of ‘false’ ganglia regions. These difficulties can decrease the success rate of the procedure to 50%, even with an experienced operator performing the procedure (LeBlanc, 2009). Improving this success rate is rather important: a successful procedure can provide pain relief for several weeks, whereas an unsuccessful procedure may only give a few days of pain relief (LeBlanc, 2009). The goal of this project has been to determine properties of the celiac ganglia using digital imaging techniques and to develop a computer-based algorithm and program to increase the operator’s ability to locate the celiac ganglia. Digital imaging techniques have thus been studied and applied towards the goals of this project. These techniques have also been applied directly to sample ultrasound images and videos to help determine the defining characteristics of the ganglia regions. A graphical user interface is currently in production, and the supporting algorithms which will identify ganglia regions will be implemented into this interface when completed.

Yulian Kebede (Jian Xie) Team # 15 MURI

THE DETERMINATION OF THE SULFUR CONTENT IN FUNCTIONALIZED CARBON BLACK FOR FUEL CELL CATALYSTS

This research is concerned mostly with the production aspect of the main project; the main issue that is being worked on is “Synthesizing of Porous Carbon using a substrate by the method of CVD.” Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a process used to produce high-purity, high-performance solid materials often used in the semiconductor industry to produce thin films. In a typical CVD process, the wafer (substrate) is exposed to one or more volatile precursors, which react and/or decompose on the substrate surface to produce the desired deposit. By using Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs) or Zeolite (ZSM-5,Y-type, A-type) as a substrate, volatile by-products could be obtained, which are removed by gas flow through the reaction of high-surface porous carbon. The porous carbon has been widely used in hydrogen storage and the high-surface porous carbon could definitely increase the hydrogen adsorption capacity.

Joshua Keith (Jilian Li) Team # 9 MURI

ELECTROSPINNING NANOFIBERS FOR STEM CELL CUTURE AND TISSUE ENGINEERING

In bone regenerative studies, new approaches in eletrospinning nanofiber technology are essential for future medical applications. The mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) employed in this experiment will be used to form bone and blood vessel tissues around damaged bone. Previous studies have ascertained that nanofiber materials create an in vitro imitation of the extracellular matrix, which makes the nanofibers an excellent growth template for the proliferation of stem cells. Therefore, the short term goal of this project is to build a functional rotating collector to optimize uniformity of the nanofiber materials in order to produce a strong and efficient growth template for the MSC and EPC cells. By using a rotating collector with speeds of 5000 to 8000 RPMs, we predict that we will be able to produce nanofibers with superior uniformity, smaller diameters, and more organized orientation. Data will then be collected on how different polymers and polymer blends will affect the proliferation of the stem cells. By using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) we will be able to evaluate nanofiber diameter and uniformity, with the expectation that our type I collagen-hydroxyapatite blend will possess diameters in the range of 20 to 300 nanometers—the best tensile mechanical properties for extended cell adhesion, differentiation, and proliferation on the nanofiber scaffold. We predict that the blended collagen-hydroxyapatite fibers will exhibit better porosity; which is important for the maturation and longevity of a stem cell tissue graft. The long term goal is to place nanofiber scaffolds directly onto damaged bone areas in order to accelerate bone and blood vessel regeneration.

Evans Kimanthi (Eliza Du and Julia Le Blanc) Team # 5 MURI

STUDY AND ANALYSIS OF THE AUTOMATIC TRAFFIC MONITORING SYSTEM

Traffic Monitoring systems are crucial in acquiring data that is used in the planning and management of transport. The accuracy of these systems is thus very important since it determines the quality of the plans made and the impact of the subsequent actions taken. The purpose of this study is to vigorously test the automatic traffic monitoring system and determine areas that need adjustment in order to increase the accuracy of the system. Training was undertaken in order to gain an understanding of the system and acquire the necessary skills for its analysis. The system requires video images for input and minimal definition of parameters in order to accomplish its goals through image processing. Recorded video images were used in the testing of the system and the results of multiple tests compared with an actual count. The main challenges during the testing process were 1) setting the parameters correctly and 2) determining a reasonable training period that would not affect the accuracy of the results produced. The comparison of results was used to identify the weak points and a report was prepared for each video. The system will provide an accurate and inexpensive method for monitoring traffic.

Paula LeBlanc (Barbara Christe, Elaine Cooney, and Richard Rogers) Team #1 MURI

IMPACT ANALYSIS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN RFID ASSET TRACKING SYSTEM IN THE CLINICAL SETTINGThe study will analyze the impact of a radio frequency identification (RFID) system in a clinical setting. MURI participants will explore the fundamentals of RFID and the clinical environment, specifically the installation and use of an asset location system produced by RadarFind. This assessment will be broken into three main topics for the group to study. First, an impact analysis will examine changes in medical technology management and equipment support by clinical engineering. Secondly, changes in nursing and patient care will be examined. Thirdly, project participants will investigate the financial impact of real time asset location on accounting practices, patient billing, and equipment inventory. Analysis of the return of investment by the case study hospital will be conducted. Furthermore, the research will be performed as a case study of Our Lady of Lourdes hospital in New Jersey with flow analysis of equipment and assessment of technology prior to the asset tracking system's implementation and after it was implemented, along with benchmark analysis and surveys. Preliminary research has already been made prior to the site visit – involving an insightful interview with one of IU Medical Hospital’s clinical engineers on their own efforts in trying to cope without an RFID tracking system, issues in preventative maintenance, relations among the staff, how employees feel about not being able to locate equipment, and so forth. In the end observations and results will be shared in a peer-reviewed journal after completion of the site visit.

Kevin Mauser (Pratibha Varma-Nelson, Tom Janke, and Randy Newbrough) Team # 12 MURI

CYBER PEER-LED TEAM LEARNING (CPLTL)

Modern online and distributed learning has enabled students and educators to span time and distance in order to continue the educational process, to enhance collaboration, and foster critical thinking. Although, not web-based, Peer-Led-Team Learning (PLTL) has served as a face-to-face, instructional model that advances student achievement through active learning in a peer-led workshop for the last decade. Current technology allows for the adaptation of PLTL to the online, web environment – cyberPLTL (cPLTL). During the creation of cPLTL, we aim to develop and analyze at least two different Internet dependent applications, such as Adobe Connect and Cisco Webex, that allow for collaborative learning, student work, and interaction that adheres to the original PLTL. The use of Wacom tablets and the use of Wiimote WiiProject technology as two separate handwriting input technologies are being used and analyzed. Current PLTL workshop material and peer mentor training and roles also will be adapted to the cPLTL environment. The final development of cPLTL will combine the best environment and technology from our research at a low cost to students, educators, and institutions.

Mustafa Mavi (Julie Ji) UROP

THE EFFECT OF SUBSTRATE STIFFNESS ON ENDOTHELIAL CELL ATTACHMENT, MORPHOLOGY, AND RESPONSES TO FLUID SHEAR STRESS

Tyler Nelson (Jiliang Li) Team #9 MURI

ELECTROSPINNING NANOFIBERS FOR STEM CELL CUTURE AND TISSUE ENGINEERING

Boniface Nganga (Richard Gregory, Fengyu Song, and L. Jack Windsor) Team # 6 MURI

EFFECTS OF NICOTINE ON HUMAN PULP CELLS

Nicotine is an addictive chemical and one of the most abused substances in the world. It is found in high levels in tobacco products such as cigarette, cigar, pipes and smokeless tobacco. The addictive property in nicotine has led to increased and dependent use of tobacco products that accounts for 90% of lung cancer cases. Tobacco products that contain nicotine are known to also cause oral health complications, but little work has been done on the effects of nicotine on the repairing ability of human pulp cells (HPCs).This study was designed to investigate the repairing ability of HPCs treated with nicotine by exploring changes in dentin sialoprotein (DSP), dentin phosphoprotein (DPP) and dentin matrix acidic phosphoprotein1 (DMP1). HPCs were acquired from healthy teeth for orthodontic purposes approved by Institutional Review Board at Indiana University. 200, 000 of HPCs on each Petri-dish were cultured in 1 g/ml glucose Dubelcco’s Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) supplemented with 15% bovine growth serum until 90% confluent. The cells were then washed with Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS) and switched to serum free medium conatining the following concentrations of nicotine: 0.15, 0.59, 9.4, 50, 100, 200, 400 and 800 µg/ml. After 24 hours of incubation, RNA was extracted using Qiagen RNeasy mini kit (Qiagen science Inc, Germantown MD) following manufacturer’s instruction. RT-PCR was performed using Qiagen OneStep RT-PCR kit. The RT-PCR products were run on 0.9% agarose gel and the density of bands was measured to determine changes in mRNA expression of DSP, DPP and DMP1. One way ANOVA will be used to detect the difference of mRNA expression between various treatments.

Jacob Norby (Eliza Du and Julia Le Blanc) Team # 5 MURI

COMPUTER-ASSISTED IDENTIFICATION OF CELIAC GANGLIA DURING ENDOSCOPIC ULTRASOUND-GUIDED CELIAC PLEXUS NEUROLYSIS (EUS-CPN)

Patients suffering from pancreatic cancer or chronic pancreatitis experience debilitating pain severely impairing the patients’ ability to perform normal daily activities. To help patients become relatively pain-free and thus regaining their mobility, doctors may perform a celiac plexus neurolysis (CPN) procedure which involves blocking the nerves of the celiac ganglia. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided celiac plexus neurolysis (EUS-CPN) is an innovative and minimally invasive approach to performing a CPN using an endoscope. The technique of EUS-CPN was first reported in 1996 and is available in university hospitals; however, inability to reliably identify the celiac ganglia, or nerve bundles, has limited its widespread use in the United States. In 2008, it was reported that direct injection of celiac ganglia during EUS-CPN resulted in subjective pain relief categorized as “complete,” or “partial,” in 16 of 17 (94%) subjects at 2 and 4 weeks (Am J Gastroenterol 2008;103:98-103); however, even for a well-trained and highly skilled surgeon, the accuracy of identifying ganglia could be as low as 50%. In this research, we propose using a computer aided method to assist the physician in automatically detecting and identifying the celiac ganglia thus increasing the success of precise injections of the nerves during the EUS-CPN. The computer aided method will provide the physician operator with a user-friendly interface allowing assistance in determining the likelihood that an area of interest is a celiac ganglia bundle versus other internal features such as a lymph node.

Noma Ogbeifun (Jian Xie and Meixian Wang) Team #15 MURI

THE DETERMINATION OF THE SULFUR CONTENT IN FUNCTIONALIZED CARBON BLACK FOR FUEL CELL CATALYSTS

Carbon black is the main catalyst support in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC). However, after long hours of fuel cell operation, the catalyst, platinum nanoparticles, aggregate together thereby decreasing the durability and overall performance of the fuel cell. In order to address this issue, certain functional groups (-SO3H) are introduced by method of diazonium reaction. It is important to calculate the –SO3H coverage on the carbon black surface, and here Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES) is used to calculate the coverage. XRD and TEM were also used to characterize the morphology of the products. The SEM micrographs show, after functionalization, that the particle size of carbon black decreased from 900 nm to 50 nm. The preliminary results of ICPAES show that we successfully grafted functional groups on the surface of carbon black.

Amanda Ramirez (Carina King) DSRP

THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN OLDER ADULTS

The role of leisure activity becomes an important role in people’s lives as we age. Leisure is considered vital in enhancing well-being in older adults. The senior games are an exemplary case of older adults and leisure engagement. A combination 102 males and females participated in a survey at this year’s senior games. A few of the questions in the survey consisted of how long have you been participating in the senior games? How many hours per week do you spend participation in or training for your sport? How many miles did you travel to the Indiana senior games? Also, another survey is being based on internet use and the quality of life in older adults. The data collected from both surveys will be placed in the system SPSS. By participating in senior games and being actively engaged in leisure activity older adults might be able to maintain healthy life styles, and it is expected that their involvement and commitment to the activities are related to a better quality of life. A quantitative approach is used in this study. Specific objectives of the study are to identify relationship between the depth of involvement in leisure activities and life satisfaction, and investigate the influence of serious leisure on physical and mental health.

Waldo Resman (Barbara Christe, Elaine Cooney, and Richard Rogers) Team # 1 MURI

IMPACT ANALYSIS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN RFID ASSET TRACKING SYSTEM IN THE CLINICAL SETTING

Logan Schafer (Huanmei Wu, Yuenina Zhang, and Monis Rahman) Team # 14 MURI

MARGIN EXPANSION FOR CYBERKNIFE TREATMENT

Han Shih (Karen Gregson and Richard Gregory) Team # 7 MURI

COMBINED EFFECTS OF TRIETHYLENE GLYCOL, METHACRYLIC ACID OR TRIETHYLENE GLYCOL DIMETHACRYLATE WITH NICOTINE ON STREPTOCOCCUS MUTANS GROWTH

Triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) is a methacrylate monomer structure which produces toxic triethylene glycol (TEG) and methacrylic acid (MA) through hydrolysis resulting in approximately 1.25 mM concentrations in crevicular fluid. Research has shown that microleakage from dental restorations made from these materials contribute to dental caries. Nicotine, from smoking, weakens salivary function and encourages the growth of Streptococcus mutans, which produces enzymes and eventually causes dental caries. In this study, we examined the effects of TEGDMA, TEG or MA with nicotine on S. mutans growth, specifically absorbance and viable bacterial numbers, respectively, at different concentrations including 1.25 mM. We observed that TEGDMA, TEG and MA inhibit the growth of S. mutans at different rates. In conclusion, by adding TEGDMA, TEG or MA together with nicotine, S. mutans growth accelerates; hence, we propose that smoking influences secondary caries by affecting dental materials specifically TEGDMA and oral bacteria. Nonetheless, there is a need for further investigation of these effects.

Seth Simonson (Jian Xie and Fan Xu) Team # 16 MURI

INVESTIGATION OF THE NAFION IONOMER NETWORK IN THE CATALYST LAYER OF POLYMER ELCTROLYTE FUEL CELLS

The importance of fuel cells have been increasing across the globe from power production to portable electronics (National Fuel Cell Research Center, 2009). The main objective for the research of the Nafion ionomer network in the catalyst layer of polymer electrolyte fuel cells is to understand the microstructure of the degradation of the Nafion ionomer and to build a bridge between the performance of fuel cell and microstructure change of Nafion ionomer during the degradation. In order to obtain credited results, the research was performed by conducting various tests on the membrane electrode assembly. The membrane electrode assembly was cycled over 2100 times (0.05 to 1.2V) to test the degradation of the Nafion ionomer. While the membrane electrode assembly is cycled, characterization tests were performed periodically (every 300 cycles), which included cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (AC-EIS), and by polarization curves. Once the cycling is completed, the membrane electrode assembly will be examined using a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and a transmission electron microscopy (TEM). As the experiment progresses, the data shows that the excessive cycling disrupts the Nafion by breaking it down and therefore the membrane electrode assembly is losing it’s proton conductivity. Since there is very little research being done with the degradation of the Naifon, the results of these experiments will add to the understanding of fuel cell development and will be beneficial to the renewable energy research that will consist of finding new ways for the Nafion to uphold it’s integrity.

Marc Smith (Barbara Christe, Elaine Cooney, and Richard Rogers) Team # 1 MURI

IMPACT ANALYSIS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN RFID ASSET TRACKING SYSTEM IN THE CLINICAL SETTING

Isaac Terry (Scott Deal and Chuiyuan Meng) Team # 3 MURI

SOFTWARE AND IT SOLUTIONS FOR THE AUKUSALAQ GLOBAL TELEMATIC OPERA PROJECT.

Richard Turley (Pratibha Varma-Nelson, Tom Janke, and Randy Newbrough) Team # 12 MURI

CYBER PEER-LED TEAM LEARNING (CPLTL)

Derek Vleck (Jian Xie and Fan Xu) Team # 16 MURI

INVESTIGATION OF THE NAFION IONOMER NETWORK IN THE CATALYST LAYER OF THE POLYMER ELECTRODE FUEL CELL

The research conducted centers on the performance and optimization of the MEA, membrane electrode assembly, of a fuel cell and more specifically the determination of the changes in the microstructure of the ionomer network and its effect on the PEFC, polymer electrolyte fuel cell, over a specific length of time. This fuel cell research results will be used to gain a better understanding of how a fuel cell and its properties degrade over time. Due to the necessity of a long lifetime PEFC, approx. 5000 hr, it is necessary to investigate the degradation of the fuel cell, more particularly the degradation of the Nafion ionomer network. This research will involve cycling a fabricated MEA between different predetermined potentials to determine durability. At designated intervals of 300 cycles the MEA will be tested to characterize the performance of the PEFC by its CV (cyclic voltammetry), EIS (Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy), and polarization curve. Once the cycling is completed the MEA cross section will be examined by scanning using electron microscopy, SEM, and transmission electron microscopy, TEM, for micro-structure of a MEA. Fresh as well as tested MEA’s will be tested to investigate the ionomer network, platinum particle size and also the interface of the catalyst layer and membrane. Current data trends show that the Nafion ionomer network is broken down throughout the cycling process. The breakdown of this network is resulting in a loss of proton conductivity for the MEA itself. The obtained results will be used to determine effective ways to decrease the rate of degradation of the Nafion ionomer network, but this research only applies to reaching a better understanding of this degradation.

Agnieszka Wojcik-Wolf (Huanmei Wu, Yuenian Zhang, and Monis Rahman) Team # 14 MURI

LUNG TUMOR AND ACCURACY ASSESSMENT OF CYBERKNIFE CORRELATION MODEL

The Synchrony Respiratory Tracking System is an integrated subsystem of the CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System developed to accurately treat moving tumors during real-time treatment delivery, such as lung tumors whose motion was induced by patient respiration. To reduce radiation dose to the patient caused by internal imaging for tumor tracking, the internal tumor motion is computed based on the external marker motion with a correlation model. This study was to evaluate the current correlation model used with the CyberKnife system for accurate radiation dose delivery.

Data from 97 treatment fractions (i.e., sessions) for 21 different lung cancer patients was examined. The treatment was given up to five fractions lasting anywhere between 25 and 120 minutes each, following an initial simulation session. Three gold fiducial markers were implanted near the tumor obtaining a 3D internal image, and three external optical LED markers that reflect the chest wall position, were used to create phases of the breathing cycle. The internal/external correlation model between internal tumor position and the external marker positions was used in the study. The simple linear function was applied to sketch the correlation model. The correlation errors were analyzed and compared with other correlation models to optimize used representation. If the correlation model used in the study showed improvement in accuracy, further calculations could be done to account for gender and age differences, in addition to location, volume and depth of the cancer.