3D printing has revolutionised traditional manufacturing methods, opening up and distributing design and production of low cost, custom objects to virtually anyone. Tailoring of print material and part geometry allows for the benefits of this technology to reach multiple engineering and scientific fields, given appropriate design. A multidisciplinary approach concerning development of new print materials and methods was undertaken with the aim of further expansion and application of 3D printing towards electrochemical applications. Specific requirements of materials used in this domain, such as conductivity and chemical stability, led to development of functional printable carbon composites, compatible with consumer grade 3D printers. This allows facile production of cheap, reusable, disposable, electrodes for analytical applications, demonstrating heavy metal detection in aqueous media and allowing further tailoring to specific applications to be easily implemented. A new method for printing of cellulose solutions was developed, with post processing of printed parts resulting in biocompatible, porous, conductive structures. When used as electrodes in microbial fuel cells, improved power and current output over traditionally used carbon cloth electrodes was achieved. Other developments resulting from this work applicable to other fields include a novel trajectory generation method based on exponential functions which can be applied to practically any robotic system, as well as improvements to the production process of metal alloy filaments for 3D printing of metallic components.

Concrete is one of the most widely used materials in the world. It is also one of the most versatile while complex materials which human have used for construction. However, an important weakness of concrete (cement-based composites) is its weak tensile properties. Therefore, over the past thirty years many studies were focused to improve its tensile properties using a variety of physical and chemical methods. One of the most successful attempts is to use polymer fibers in the structure of concrete to obtain a composite with high tensile strength and ductility.However, a thorough understanding of the mechanical behavior of fiber reinforced concrete requires the knowledge of fiber/matrix interfaces at the nanoscale. In this study, a combination of atomistic simulations and experimental techniques has been used to study the nanostructure of fiber/matrix interfaces. A new model for calcium-silicate-hydrate (C-S-H)/fiber interfaces is also proposed based on Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analyses. Finally, the adhesion energies between the C-S-H gel and three different polymeric fibers (polyvinyl alcohol, nylon-6 and polypropylene) were numerically studied at the atomistic level, since adhesion plays a key role in the design of ductile fiber reinforced composites. The mechanisms of adhesion as a function of the nanostructure of fiber/matrix interfaces are further studied and discussed. It is observed that the functional group in the structure of polymer macromolecule affects the adhesion energy primarily by changing the C/S ratio of the C-S-H at the interface and further by absorbing additional positive ions in the C-S-H structure. Then the mechanical response of cement paste with added polymeric fibers were studied. A correlation between adhesion energies and the load-displacement curve in split-cylinder test was found. Moreover, as there is a great interest in cellulose-based cement composites, bamboo fibers is added to the cement paste and the fiber/matrix interface and its effect on structure of C-S-H were investigated.

Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

A doença periodontal é o problema de saúde oral mais comum nos gatos adultos, cuja prevalência está estimada em até 70% dos animais. Dentre as principais etiologias, destaca-se a Porphyromonas gingivalis, importante patógeno frequentemente detectado em lesões ativas de periodontite. Nesse contexto, a imunoterapia associada ao emprego de imunoglobulinas anti-Porphyromonas gingivalis (IgY-PG) surge como alternativa promissora frente aos convencionais métodos preventivos e terapêuticos. O presente estudo objetivou avaliar a eficácia da adição de IgY - PG em dietas extrusadas sobre diferentes parâmetros relacionados a saúde oral de gatos. Foram empregados 20 gatos adultos, sem raça definida, idade média de 7,92±1,98 anos e peso corporal médio de 4,55±1,11kg. Os animais foram divididos em dois grupos experimentais de 10 gatos cada. O estudo seguiu delineamento crossover, com a duração de 40 dias em cada período experimental. Todos os animais foram previamente avaliados, para a confirmação da presença da PG na microbiota bucal pelo emprego de técnicas moleculares. Os parâmetros avaliados foram índice de placa, índice de cálculo, índice de gengivite e contagem bacteriana bucal nos momentos T0 e T40 dias após o início do estudo. Os animais alimentados com a dieta adicionada de IgY-PG apresentaram redução significativa dos índices de placa (P=0,05) e cálculo dentário (P= 0,06), achados que demonstram melhora da saúde oral dos gatos estudados. / Periodontal disease is the most common problem of oral health in adult cats, whose prevalence is estimated at up to 70% of the animals. Among the main causes, there is the Porphyromonas gingivalis, an important pathogen frequently detected in active lesions of periodontitis. In this context, immunotherapy associated with the use of IgY against - Porphyromonas gingivalis (IgY - PG) has emerged as a promising alternative to conventional preventive and therapeutic methods. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of adding IgY - PG in extruded diets on different parameters related to oral health in cats. Twenty adult cats, mixed breeds, with 7.92±1.98 years old and a mean body weight of 4.55±1.11 kg were used. The animals were divided into two groups of 10 cats each. The experiment followed crossover design, with each period lasting 40 days. All animals were previously evaluated to confirm the presence of PG in the oral microbiota by using molecular techniques. The parameters evaluated were plaque, calculus and gingivitis index, and oral bacterial count in times T0 and T40 days after the start of the study. Animals fed the diet added IgY - PG significant reduction of plaque index (P=0.05) and dental calculus (P=0.06), findings that demonstrate improved oral health of cats studied.

This thesis provided the foundational work for a low-cost three-dimensional (3D) printed custom knee brace. Specifically, the objective was to research, develop and implement a novel workflow aimed to be easy to use and available to anyone who has access to a smartphone camera and 3D printing services. The developed workflow was used to manufacture two prototypes which proved valuable in the design iterations. As a result, an improved hinge was designed which has increased mechanical strength. Additionally, a smartphone photogrammetry validation study was included which provided preliminary results on the accuracy and precision. This novel measurement method has the potential to require little training and could be disseminated through video instructions posted online. The intention is to enable the patient to collect their own “3D scan” with the help of a friend or family member, effectively removing the need to book an appointment simply for collecting custom measurements. Lastly, it would allow the clinician to focus all their time on clinically relevant design tasks such as checking alignment, fit and comfort, which could all potentially be improved by adopting such digital methods. The ultimate vision for this work is to enable manufacturing of better custom knee braces at a reduce cost which are easily accessible for low-income populations.

A research project was undertaken to integrate Ultrasonic Consolitation (UC) and Direct-Write (DW) technologies into a single apparatus to fabricate embedded electrical systems within an ultrasonically consolidated metallic enclosure. Process and design guidelines were developed after performing fundamental research on the operational capabilities of the implemented system. In order to develop such guidelines, numerous tests were performed on both UC and DW. The results from those tests, as well as the design and process guidelines for the fabrication of an embedded touch switch, can be used as a base for future research and experimentation on the UC-DW apparatus. The successful fabrication of an embedded touch switch proves the validity of the described design and process parameters and demonstrates the usefulness of this integration.

Three-dimensional, additive printing has emerged as an exciting new technology for the design and manufacture of small spacecraft systems. Using 3-D printed thermoplastic materials, hybrid rocket fuel grains can be printed with nearly any cross-sectional shape, and embedded cavities are easily achieved. Applying this technology to print fuel materials directly into a CubeSat frame results in an efficient, cost-effective alternative to existing CubeSat propulsion systems. Different 3-D printed materials and geometries were evaluated for their performance as propellants and as structural elements. Prototype "thrust columns" with embedded fuel ports were printed from a combination of acrylonitrile utadiene styrene (ABS) and VeroClear, a photopolymer substitute for acrylic. Gaseous oxygen was used as the oxidizer for hot-fire testing of prototype thrusters in ambient and vacuum conditions. Hot-fire testing in ambient and vacuum conditions on nine test articles with a combined total of 25 s burn time demonstrated performance repeatability. Vacuum specific impulse was measured at over 167 s and maximum thrust of individual thrust columns at 9.5 N. The expected ΔV to be provided by the four thrust columns of the consumable structure is approximately 37 m/s. With further development and testing, it is expected that the consumable structure has the potential to provide a much-needed propulsive solution within the CubeSat community with further applications for other small satellites.

Prior research focused on CMOS-MEMS integrated oscillator has been done using various foundry compatible integration techniques. In order to compensate the integration compatibility, MEMS resonators built on standard CMOS foundry process could not take full advantage of highest achievable quality factor on chip. System-in-package (SiP) and system-on-chip (SoC) is becoming the next generation of electronic packaging due to the need of multi-functional devices and multi-sensor systems, thus wafer level hybrid integration becomes the key to enable the full assembly of dissimilar devices. In this way, every active circuit and passive component can be individually optimized, so do the MEMS resonators and sustaining amplifier circuits. In this dissertation, GaAs-MEMS integrated oscillator in a hybrid packaging has been fully explored as an important functional block in the RF transceiver systems. This dissertation first presents design, micro-fabrication, simulation, testing and modeling of ZnO piezoelectrically-transduced MEMS resonators. A newly designed rectangular plate with curved resonator body fabricated in-house exhibits a very high Q of more 6,000 in the air for its width-extensional mode resonance at 166 MHz. In addition, a rectangular plate resonator with multiple Phononic Crystal (PC) strip tethers shows low insertion loss of -11.5 dB at 473.9 MHz with a Q of 2722.5 in the air. An oscillator technology with high-Q MEMS resonator as its tank circuit is presented to validate its key functionality as a stable frequency reference across a wide spectrum of frequencies. Particularly, a piezoelectrically-transduced width-extensional mode MEMS resonator is strategically designed to operate at two distinct layout-defined mechanical modal frequencies (259.5MHz and 436.7MHz). These devices were characterized and modeled by an extracted equivalent LCR circuit to facilitate the design of the oscillator using a standard circuit simulator. MEMS resonators have been integrated with the sustaining amplifier circuit at PCB level using wire-bonding technique and coaxial connectors. As shown by the time-domain measurements and frequency-domain measurements, these oscillators are capable of selectively locking into the resonance frequency of the tank circuit and generating a stable sinusoidal waveform. Meanwhile, the phase noise performance is rigorously investigated within a few oscillator designs. At last, 3-D printed hybrid packaging using additive manufacturing and laser machining technique has been developed for integrating a MEMS resonator on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate and a GaAs sustaining amplifier. Fabrication process and fundamental characterization of this hybrid packaging has been demonstrated. On-wafer probe measurements of a 50 Ω microstrip line on ABS substrate exhibit its insertion loss of 0.028 dB/mm at 5 GHz, 0.187 dB/mm at 20 GHz and 0.512 dB/mm at 30 GHz, and show satisfactory input and output return loss with the 3-D printed package. Parylene N is also experimentally coated on the package for improving water resistance as a form of hermetic packaging.

<p>The most widely used gasoline additive methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) has been questioned recently, since frequent detection of this compound in groundwater indicates that it could be a risk to our environment. Consequently, legislative efforts have been made by some local governments to phase out the use of MTBE. Among a number of alternative substitutes, ethyl tert-butyl (ETBE) seems to be the more promised one due to its lower water solubility, suggesting that it could pose less impact to our water supply. However, a thorough understanding of its environmental fate is needed before ETBE is widely accepted as a more environmentally friendly gasoline additive. As a part of this effort, the degradation of MTBE and ETBE as well as their effects on the fate of aromatic gasoline components, i.e. BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethyl-benzene and xylenes) were studied on two soils contaminated with MTBE-blended or ETBE-blended gasoline. During a period of 5 months, the general aerobic degradation of the gasoline and its different additives were monitored by gas chromatography – thermal conductivity detection (GC-TCD) and concentration changes of MTBE and ETBE were monitored with the help of gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results of this study showed that the degradation of MTBE, ETBE and BTEX occurred in all the systems, nevertheless MTBE and ETBE degraded far more slowly in contrast with the degradation of BTEX, indicating that MTBE and ETBE are more persistent. When the degradation of MTBE and ETBE were compared, ETBE decreased a little faster than MTBE, implying that ETBE advantages slightly in degradation over MTBE. Concerning the effects of MTBE and ETBE on the fate of BTEX, the results showed that MTBE might enhance whereas ETBE might inhibit the degradation of BTEX though at a lower level. In addition, less degradation of MTBE and ETBE was observed in organic-rich soil in all the cases, probably because that there are more other substrates available for the microorganisms in organic-rich soil.</p>

The use of aluminum as an energetic additive in solid rocket propellants has been around since the 1950’s. Since then, much research has been done both on the aluminum material itself and on chemical techniques to properly prepare aluminum particles for injection into a solid propellant. Although initial interests in additives were centered on space limited applications, performance increases opened the door for higher performance systems without the need to remake current systems. This thesis aims to compare the performance for aluminized solid rocket motors and non-aluminized motors, as well as focuses on design considerations for a thrust stand that can be created easily at low cost for initial testing. A theoretical model is created for predicting propellant performance and the results are compared with experimental data taken from the thrust stand as well as existing data. What is seen at the end of testing is the non-aluminized grains follow the same trends as previously conducted tests and firings. The aluminized grains follow their expected trend but at a lower performance level due to grain degradation. However, the aluminized grains still show a specific impulse increase of 6%-23% over the non-aluminized grains.