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Title: SAFETY TRAINING IN CONSTRUCTION
Creator: Demirkesen, Sevilay
Date: 2011-11-29, 2011-12
Description: The construction industry is one of the most hazardous industries. Therefore, the ways to reduce the number of risks have been a concern for...
Show moreThe construction industry is one of the most hazardous industries. Therefore, the ways to reduce the number of risks have been a concern for construction companies. Safety training is considered as one of the most efficient ways of improving safety record. Therefore, this study aimed to describe the best safety training methods and the most efficient organization in safety training. The study also aimed to show how to take best safety measures to protect construction workers. In this thesis study, a questionnaire was conducted in order to investigate the achievement of safety learning, challenges in a safety training program and the methods of improving safety record. Thus, the questionnaire was e-mailed to 400 contractors in US. The data collected also indicated the importance of safety training in companies’ success in the industry. Additionally, this study presents recommendations on how companies could improve their safety record.
M.S. in Civil Engineering, December 2011
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Title: Method for the Preparation of Titanium Tetrachloride
Creator: Schossberger, Frederic V.
Date: 1958-10-21
Description: Sponsorship: Armour Research Foundation of Illinois Institute of Technology
United States Patent

Title: Adoption and Implementation of Diabetes Electronic Support Center at Mount Sinai Hospital, Summer 2011, IPRO 345: Poster
Creator: Kos, Carolyn, Valio, Nicole, Michael, Hazel, Chinzorig, Unubold, Johnson, Kendra
Date: 2011-06-17, 2011-07
Description: The purpose of IPRO 345 is to improve and mobilize the data and remote health care system for Mount Sinai Hospital. Specifically, this project...
Show moreThe purpose of IPRO 345 is to improve and mobilize the data and remote health care system for Mount Sinai Hospital. Specifically, this project aims to create a data support to aid diabetic patients within 500 meters of the hospital in order to decrease cost of operation and time and increase the quality of care. We will develop the groundwork for future IPRO 345 teams that will eventually implement the new data collection program.
Sponsorship: SolarWindUSA
Design+Prototype+Test an Integrated Roof-Top Photovoltaic Solar System Design, Summer 2011, IPRO 345
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Title: IN VITRO ASSAYS FOR ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF PROCESSING ON THE ALLERGENIC POTENTIAL OF MILK ALLERGENS
Creator: Zhao, Yuhui
Date: 2014, 2014-07
Description: A better understanding of how processing may affect the allergenicity of proteins will allow a more accurate allergen risk assessment and...
Show moreA better understanding of how processing may affect the allergenicity of proteins will allow a more accurate allergen risk assessment and achieve a greater success in food allergy management. To determine whether food processing can affect the allergenic potential of proteins, immunochemical methods are commonly used, however, these methods are not able to determine changes in the proteins’ ability to elicit allergic reactions. Although food challenge studies are the gold standard for determining the allergenicity of proteins, such studies are seldom performed due to ethical reasons and the difficulty in recruiting a sufficient number of study participants. In recent years, a number of mediator release assays have been developed to measure the allergenic potential of food proteins in vitro. How these cell-based assays can be used to assess the impact of thermal or other processing conditions on the allergenic potential of proteins remains to be determined. This study evaluated the use of sensitized rat basophilic leukemia (RBL) cells for assessing the impact of boiling on the allergenic potential of milk allergens by measuring changes in the proteins’ ability to induce cell degranulation and the release of β-hexosaminidase. RBL-2H3 cells sensitized with rat IgEs that were specifically raised against NIST non-fat milk standard reference material, β-lactoglobulin (BLG), α-lactalbumin (ALA) and α-casein (αCAS) were challenged with various concentrations of each allergen in its native and processed (boiled in PBS for 10 min) forms. Cell degranulation caused by the allergen was monitored by measuring the release of β-hexosaminidase. All allergens (NIST milk, BLG, ALA, and αCAS) were able to induce the release of β-hexosaminidase, up to 43.1%. A decrease in % release of β-hexosaminidase was observed when cells were challenged with a decreasing concenration xi of the ALA and milk allergens. Boiling of nonfat milk, ALA, BLG and αCAS caused an increase in the % release of β-hexosaminidase from sensitized cells across antigen concentrations from 10-6 mg/mL to 1 mg/mL. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the in vitro mediator release assay method may serve as a useful model to evaluate the impact of thermal processing on the allergenic potential of milk allergens.
M.S. in Food Safety and Technology, July 2014
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Title: Treehouse (Spring 2001) IPRO 328
Creator: Bloss, Lisa, Onyeali, Arthur, Serra, M. Silvia, Weil, Denis
Date: 2001, 2001-05
Description: This is a collaborative project mentored by faculty from the Institute of Design and the College of Architecture. The team will investigate...
Show moreThis is a collaborative project mentored by faculty from the Institute of Design and the College of Architecture. The team will investigate the emerging fusion of environments, information, and technology. Specifically, we will research how environments can be used to tell stories, and then apply our insights to envision new spaces that dramatically improve how people understand and use information. The first eight weeks of the class will be spent experiencing and learning about the best practices for using environments to tell stories. Each week will include a guest lecture from an expert in the topic and a related visit or assignment. Students will then unpack these experiences in order to understand the structures and strategies of each experience. By the end of our field trips, the class should have a deep understanding of the elements required to tell a good story with space, and knowledge of the state of the art in this arena. The second part of the class will involve applying our knowledge to envision an environment that integrates architecture and information to solve the needs of a particular user group or set of activities. Student teams will define the problem they wish to solve; however, we have the opportunity to use some databases being created at ID as content for the room. We do not intend to spend much time in the classroom for this IPRO. Much of our time will be spent in the field. Also, we will provide cursory instruction on methods that apply to each phase of our work together. These include interview techniques, field observation, cross-functional teamwork, prototyping, and innovation planning.
Sponsorship: Don Hollis
Project Plan for IPRO 328: Treehouse for the Spring 2001 semester
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Title: Porous Pavement/Hydro-gel System for Storm Water Management (Semester Unknown) IPRO 312: Porous Pavement Hydro-gel System for Storm Water Management IPRO 312 Ethics Sp08
Creator: Shoulders, Shawn, Johnson, Sarah, Lewis, William, Yeung, Helen, Chavazha, Misha, Lebron, Chance, Myers, James, Rybaltowski, Karl, Wang, Nan
Date: 2008, 2008-05
Description: The objectives of IPRO 312, are to design and demonstrate a hydrogel based, water retention and release system for implementation in various...
Show moreThe objectives of IPRO 312, are to design and demonstrate a hydrogel based, water retention and release system for implementation in various storm water reclamation scenarios while forecasting the impact of such a system, both economically and ecologically on a Chicago-land neighborhood.
Deliverables
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Title: Synthetic Biology: Engineering a Novel Organism (semester?), IPRO 302: Synthetic biology Engineering Novel Organisms IPRO 302 Project Plan F05
Creator: Hoa, Nguyen, Zdravka, Cankova, Emily, Hammes, Lily, Liu, Ricardo, Herrera, Heather, King, Kaylyn, Siefkas, Jean, Cadet, Emad, Allam, Bryan, Bridgeman
Date: 2005-12, 2005-12
Description: This is a continuing IPRO from last semester, Spring 2005 and involved creating a synthetic metabolic pathway in Escherichia Coli. There have...
Show moreThis is a continuing IPRO from last semester, Spring 2005 and involved creating a synthetic metabolic pathway in Escherichia Coli. There have been a growing number of research projects outside IIT investigating engineered organisms whose processes have been modified towards performing a specific task.
Deliverables for IPRO 302: Synthetic Biology: Engineering a Novel Organism for the Fall 2005 semester
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Title: BIOLOGICAL STRATEGIES FOR ENHANCEMENT OF LIQUID FUELS: SULFUR REMOVAL FROM PETROLEUM AND BIOETHANOL PRODUCTION
Creator: Wang, Jia
Date: 2013, 2013-12
Description: Rhodococcus baikonurensis CW25 was transformed with the Rhodococcus erythropolis strain IGTS8 desulfurization operon (dszABC, which encodes...
Show moreRhodococcus baikonurensis CW25 was transformed with the Rhodococcus erythropolis strain IGTS8 desulfurization operon (dszABC, which encodes the enzymes of the “4S” desulfurization pathway) or this operon modified to contain a synthetic cysteine-methionine rich “sulpeptide” gene (S1) (dszAS1BC). The two CW25 derivatives were subjected to directed evolution to select faster growing cells using the key 4S pathway substrate dibenzothiophene (DBT) as the sole source of sulfur. Data of cell doubling times verified the success of selection of cultures with increasingly rapid growth. The desulfurization activities of resting cells of early passages demonstrated improvements, and the highest activity of the dszAS1BC-bearing CW25 derivative was 115% higher than that of the CW25 derivative without S1. In addition, a trend of initial high activity was followed by a decrease in subsequent passages. Rates of DBT metabolism of growing cells demonstrated a different trend, probably because the activity of growing cells concurrently reflects the activity of DszABC enzymes and the growth rates of the recombinants. Dry cell weights fluctuated during the evolution process, probably because of variations in the efficiency of the conversion of the sulfur in DBT into sulfite, then into sulfate or biomass, or, for the S1-bearing cells, because the secretion of the S1 peptide from cells might have variable efficiency. A mixed culture of two Paenibacillus species (“W” and “Y”) was isolated that can metabolize DBT at temperatures up to 54 ºC. Strain Y is the only one of the two with desulfurization activity, while strain W enhances the desulfurization ability of Y. The W-Y culture may be a useful starting point for selection of desulfurization cultures with even greater thermal stability. xiii Ethanologenic Escherichia coli strain FBR5 was compared with Vitreoscilla hemoglobin (VHb)-expressing FBR5 (TS3) regarding the concentrations of ATP, NAD+, NADH, NAD+/NADH ratio; and growth and ethanol production at various points during growth. The significant finding was that the NAD+/NADH ratio for TS3 was lower in early growth, but higher in later growth compared to that for FBR5. This is probably because more NADH was required by TS3 for its enhanced ethanol production and VHb-related increased respiration under microaeration conditions.
PH.D in Biology, December 2013
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Title: Integration Of Process Improvements (Spring 2011) IPRO 304
Creator: Kozmel, Tom, Collins, Dorothy, Watts, Bill, Tatkowski, Greg, Chojnacki, Tomasz, Ray, Jaimin, Sparks, Gregory, Regacho, Michael, Diao, Yubo, Kuzmicki, Claudius, Gal, Paul, Szalko, Alex, Kim, Suk Won
Date: 2011, 2011-05
Description: A. Finkl & Sons Co. was founded in 1879. Finkl is the world's leading supplier of forging die steels, plastic mold steels, die casting tool...
Show moreA. Finkl & Sons Co. was founded in 1879. Finkl is the world's leading supplier of forging die steels, plastic mold steels, die casting tool steels and custom open‐die forgings, processing 100,000 tons of steel each year. Since the 1800s, Finkl has maintained a commitment to manufacture 100 percent of its products in Chicago. These products are distributed domestically and to more than 18 countries worldwide. They sell their products to other manufacturers including plastic processors, die casting companies and closed‐die forging plants. With more than 100 patents to its credit, Finkl's steel formulations and steel-making technologies set worldwide standards. Finkl's facilities are on the leading edge of technology, using the most automated processes in the world. In recognition of Finkl's product quality, Finkl was the first integrated steel manufacturer in America to receive ISO 9000 certification
Sponsorship: A. Finkl & Sons
Deliverables
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Title: Hybrid Electric Vehicles: Simulation, Design, and Implementation (semester?), IPRO 326: Hybrid Electric Vehicles IPRO 326 Final Report Sp05
Creator: Parks, Jeffrey, Antoniou, Antonis, Bench, Justin, Evanoff, Steffany, Komyathy, Jonathan, Ozcan, Murat, Panchal, Nikunj, Seaton, Brandon, Tisler, Ovidiu, Waller, Trevor, Bhatia, Mayank
Date: 2005-05, 2005-05
Description: The IPRO 326 Project aims at systematically testing both parallel and series vehicle configurations of the Hummer and HMMWV (High-Mobility...
Show moreThe IPRO 326 Project aims at systematically testing both parallel and series vehicle configurations of the Hummer and HMMWV (High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle) to find the optimum hybridization factor specific to each configuration. An additional objective of the team is to work in coordination with Ph.D. students to simulate a hybrid electric bus system that is scheduled to have practical implementations by the end of the year. All vehicle simulations and structured testing will be performed using ADVISOR, as well as other software packages available in the Power Electronics and Motor Drives Laboratory at IIT. Related work done by previous student teams shall be reviewed and integrated into this project.
Deliverables for IPRO 326: Hybrid Electric Vehicles: Simulation, Design, and Implementation for the Spring 2005 semester
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Title: Developing Affordable Products for the rural Poor of the World (semester 1 of ?), IPRO 325
Creator: Aguirre, Arturo, Di, Hu, Francescanneli, Thomas, Harris, Justin, Kircher, Alex, Miller, Sara, Richards, Crystal, Schamber, Eric, Sheridan, Richard, Sotelo, Cesar
Date: 2006-12, 2006-12
Description: IPRO 325’s objective is to create a program at IIT which looks to make an impact in the most immediate problems dealing with the world’s rural...
Show moreIPRO 325’s objective is to create a program at IIT which looks to make an impact in the most immediate problems dealing with the world’s rural poor. We seek to do this by becoming familiar with the current trends and events throughout the world which address these poverty issues. We will also examine the Agencies and Universities which are working towards annihilating the world’s grossly impoverished areas.
Deliverables for IPRO 325: Developing Affordable Products for the rural Poor of the World for the Fall 2006 semester
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Title: Information Technology Solutions for Seamless Networks (semester?), IPRO 350: IT Solutions for Seamless Networks IPRO 350 Project Plan Sp06
Creator: Damle, Prajakta, Pop, Andrei, Jones, Chris, Hartung, Marina, Nixon, Jeremy, Powell, Karina, Fawole, Ayomide
Date: 2006-05, 2006-05
Description: Merging breakthrough telecommunication opportunities, Wildfire Wireless aims to provide users aboard commuter trains the ability to take full...
Show moreMerging breakthrough telecommunication opportunities, Wildfire Wireless aims to provide users aboard commuter trains the ability to take full advantage of their commute by providing access to a cost-effective hardware/software solution allowing them access to real-time, seamless wireless communication channels.
Deliverables for IPRO 350: Information Technology Solutions for Seamless Networks for the spring 2006 semestr
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Title: Crop to Cup Coffee: Building Communities through Coffee (Semester 2) IPRO 333: BuildingComunitiesThroughCoffeeIPRO333ProjectPlantF10
Creator: Feldman, Laurie, Waterloo, Becca, Hurst, Trey, Chatterjee, Dia, Houser, Clay, Esko, Emily, Campbell, Laurel, Schmid, Miriam, Erie, Mike, Tam, Phil, Patel, Vishal, Swingler, Mark, Bloom, Ryan, Abbott, Matt
Date: 2010, 2010-12
Description: The mission of IPRO 333 is to assist the Crop to Cup Company with the design and building of an enclosure for a temporary storage facility...
Show moreThe mission of IPRO 333 is to assist the Crop to Cup Company with the design and building of an enclosure for a temporary storage facility within the vicinity of their largest producing farming zone for robusta coffee in the Mbale region of Uganda. The sponsor, along with the team, has decided that the best method for addressing the local and global needs of the farmers is to present the research and design personally. Therefore, IPRO 333 will be fundraising to help finance the forthcoming trip to Uganda to present to the farming communities.
Sponsorship: Crop to Cup
Deliverables
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Title: Apparatus and Method for In Situ Controlled Heat Processing of Hydrocarbonaceous Formations with a Controlled Parameter Line
Creator: Bridges, Jack E.
Date: 2009-05-08, 1985-02-12
Description: A system and method provide for preferential in situ heating of earth formations. A plurality of elongated conductive electrodes are emplaced...
Show moreA system and method provide for preferential in situ heating of earth formations. A plurality of elongated conductive electrodes are emplaced in earth formations in respective spaced rows bounding a particular volume of the earth formations and forming a transmission line, preferably a triplate line, extending in the direction of the electrodes with the particular volume of the earth formations providing a dielectric medium between respective rows of electrodes. Electromagnetic energy is supplied to the transmission line at a frequency at which the spacing between respective rows is less than about twice the skin depth at the frequency of the applied energy. Reactance means are disposed along respective electrodes to provide predetermined effective transmission line characteristics to develop a predetermined heating pattern in the earth formations. The reactance means may be reactances disposed discretely between sections of respective electrodes. The reactance means may also be disposed between respective electrodes and the earth formation, as by a dielectric coating. A heating pattern may be developed to heat hydrocarbon rich deposits preferentially.
Sponsorship: IIT Research Institute
United States Patent
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Title: Gerry-meandering: An Assessment of the Congressional District Model of Depository Allocation (preprint)
Creator: Ahrens, Aric G., Griffin, Luke A.
Date: 2003-06
Description: The preprint of a published article dealing with the effect of allocating Federal Depositories by Congressional district. Conclusions drawn...
Show moreThe preprint of a published article dealing with the effect of allocating Federal Depositories by Congressional district. Conclusions drawn include the fact that due to redistricting that occurs after each decennial census, over time some districts may have within their boundaries a greater number than the two depositories that Congressional district allocation was intended to produce. Likewise, over time shifting boundaries of districts have created districts that have no depositories whatsoever.
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Title: Designing a State-of-the-Art Exhibit for the Atrium at Fermilab (semester?), IPRO 303: Fermilab Exhibit IPRO 303 Final Report Sp05
Creator: Rosenthal, Chris, Colvin, Marcus, Ferrario, Daniel, Olive, Daniel, Vasos, Maria, Williams, Taylor, Calik, Martin, Dutkovich, Frank, Mccrory, Reuben, Ortega, Uriel, Whitmore, Hugh
Date: 2005-05, 2005-05
Description: Over the next few years, the global scientific community will be deciding on the site for the International Linear Collider (ILC). The ILC...
Show moreOver the next few years, the global scientific community will be deciding on the site for the International Linear Collider (ILC). The ILC will be the next great step in particle physics, and there will only be one in the world. The United States would like to host the ILC and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Illinois is a very likely candidate to support this technology. Many important politicians and scientists will be visiting Fermilab during this period of political negotiation and site evaluation. The team’s goal is to design an exhibit for the atrium in Wilson Hall at Fermilab that conveys the scale and importance of scientific research, the value of science education, and the intersections of art and science for both a scientific and non-scientific audience. The exhibit will not only be open to the Fermilab staff and general public, but also to visiting dignitaries and politicians.
Deliverables for IPRO 303: Designing a State-of-the-Art Exhibit for the Atrium at Fermilab for the Spring 2005 semester
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Title: infoMOTO - Information Tools to Enhance the Performance and Experience of Motorcyclists, Summer 2011, IPRO 308: Final Report
Creator: Hussain, Faraz, Sarsfield, Corey, Wang, Haochen, Perkins, Jeff, Charles, Joe, Siva, Arun
Date: 2011-06-17, 2011-07
Description: infoMoto is a user-friendly and affordable aftermarket device which provides accessible feedback to the rider and mechanic as to the safety...
Show moreinfoMoto is a user-friendly and affordable aftermarket device which provides accessible feedback to the rider and mechanic as to the safety and performance of the motorcycle, which enhances the overall riding experience. Unlike existing standard equipment which provides minimal information, infoMoto notifies the user of impending malfunctions in addition to providing diagnostic information. This device may also help the designers of future models of motorcycles to head off any impeding problems, increasing the quality of their product.
IPRO 308: infoMOTO for Summer 2011
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Title: Designing Affordable Housing out of Shipping Containers for Ciudad Juarez, Mexico (Semester Unknown) IPRO 339: Designing Affordable Housing out of Shipping Containers for Ciudad Juarez, Mexico IPRO 339 Abstract F08
Creator: Dole, Shreyas, Eliyahu, Haim, Moore, Jeremy, O’neil, Ben, Olson, Heather, Peroni, Joe
Date: 2008, 2008-12
Description: Currently there are several countries throughout the world that have a large need for affordable housing. Our IPRO is currently dealing with...
Show moreCurrently there are several countries throughout the world that have a large need for affordable housing. Our IPRO is currently dealing with solutions for Juarez, Mexico and Chicago, Illinois. These two places are very different in climate, culture, as well as economy. Our IPRO team this semester will focus on applying the prototype from last two semesters to Juarez, Mexico, while making adjustments as needed. We will continue the research into systems which will be advantageous to each situation and develop them accordingly. Once we get a better understanding as to how we can apply our prototype to Juarez situation we
Deliverables
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Title: Planning for Human Implantation of a Cortical Visual Prosthesis (sequence unknown), IPRO 334 - Deliverables: IPRO 334 IPRO Day Presentation F09
Creator: Bern, David, Chen, Shanyl, Deroo, Mary, Gorski, David, Kelly, Thomas, Leasenby, Alex, Li, Zhi, Pyrkh, Hanna, Subhani, Maham, Taneja, Aanchal
Date: 2009-12
Description: The Intracortical Visual Prosthesis is based upon that concept that by implanting a large number of subminiature electrodes within the human...
Show moreThe Intracortical Visual Prosthesis is based upon that concept that by implanting a large number of subminiature electrodes within the human visual cortex, coordinated temporal-spatial image information can be artificially communicated to the human visual cortex in the form of electrical currents, acting as a sensory substitute for normal vision.
Sponsorship: IIT Laboratory of Neural Prosthetic Research
Deliverables for IPRO 334: Planning for Human Implantation of a Cortical Visual Prosthesis for the fall 2009 semester
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Title: MATHEMATICAL MODELING OF POLY(ETHYLENE GLYCOL) DIACRYLATE HYDROGEL SYNTHESIS VIA VISIBLE LIGHT FREE-RADICAL PHOTOPOLYMERIZATION FOR TISSUE ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS
Creator: Lee, Chu-yi
Date: 2013, 2013-05
Description: Crosslinked hydrogels of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) have been extensively used as scaffolds for applications in tissue...
Show moreCrosslinked hydrogels of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) have been extensively used as scaffolds for applications in tissue engineering. In this thesis, PEGDA hydrogels are synthesized using visible light free-radical photopolymeriza- tion (λ = 514 nm) in the presence of the visible light photosensitive dye, EosinY, the co-initiator, triethanolamine (TEA), a comonomer, N-vinyl pyrrolidone (NVP), a crosslinking agent, PEGDA, and an optional PEG monoacrylate monomer that contains the cell adhesive ligand YRGDS. The incorporation level of the YRGDS lig- and as well as the physical and mechanical properties of these hydrogels dictate cell behavior and tissue regeneration. These hydrogel properties may be tuned through variations in polymerization conditions. The goal of this thesis was to develop a math- ematical model for PEGDA hydrogel formation which predicts the incorporation level of YRGDS and the crosslink density of hydrogel as a variety of polymerization con- ditions. This model provides insight into the process of hydrogel crosslinking and in effectively guiding the experimental design of these scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. To accomplish this task two major components comprised the studies of this thesis. The first component involved an investigation of the visible light photo- initiation mechanism of EosinY and TEA, and the second component involved the develop of a hydrogel synthesis model and its validation. Experiments and modeling were used to determine an expression for the rate of initiation of the EosinY/TEA initiation system and to propose a photoinitiation mechanism. In Chapter 2, exper- imental data and parameter fitting were utilized to obtain an empirical expression for the rate of initiation. However, this empirical expression did not consider the ef- fect of inhomogeneous light distribution which is present in this experimental system. The dynamics of light absorption during polymerization were measured under differ- xiv ent conditions in order to gain insight into the kinetic photoinitiation mechanism as well as the rate of initiation. In Chapter 3, a mechanism for this photo-initiation was proposed. Using this mechanism the light absorption dynamics accounting for inhomogeneous light distribution were simulated which were found to be in an agree- ment with the light absorption measurements shown in Chapter 2. Further validation of this proposed mechanism was achieved from polyNVP conversion measurements. This photo-initiation mechanism was implemented in the hydrogel model. In Chapter 4, the hydrogel synthesis model was developed based on the kinetic approach of the method of moments combined with the Numerical Fractionation technique. The model was used to predict the dynamics of hydrogel properties such as gel fraction, crosslink density, and RGD incorporation under various polymerization conditions. Model predictions were compared with experimental data. Three sets of experiments were conducted. In the first set of experiments where hydrogels were formed in the absence of Acryl-PEG-RGD, the total double bond concentration was kept constant while varying the compositions of NVP and PEGDA. The model and the experiments showed a maximum crosslink density for an acrylate to double bond ratio of 0.5 to 0.6. This is related to the synergistic cross-propagation between NVP and PEGDA, which results in an increase in the rate of polymerization leading to higher crosslink density. In the second set of experiments, hydrogels were formed in the presence of Acryl-PEG-RGD to investigate its incorporation as well as the hydrogel crosslink density. The model showed reasonable agreement with the experimental data and in some cases the predicted RGD deviated from the experimental measurements due to changes in volume upon swelling. The effect of swelling was not considered by the model. The calculated crosslink densities were compared with the inverse swelling ratios from the experiments. The reduction of free volume due to the space occupied xv by the unreacted pendant double bonds was not considered by the model. This reduc- tion of free volume affected the apparent swelling ratio obtained from experiments thus resulting in the observed mismatch between the experimental trends and the predicted crosslink density by the model. In the third set of experiments, additional crosslink density measurements were conducted using a PEGDA macromer of lower molecular weight (MW = 575 Da.). The experiments were performed in the absence of Acryl-PEG-RGD. Few cases were not accurately predicted since the model did not consider the reduction in the concentration of available pendant double bonds when gelation occurs. Among the three set of experiments, the hydrogel synthesis model offers reasonable predictions for most of the experimental cases. This model can be used as a guide for experimen- tally designing PEGDA hydrogels with the desired properties for tissue engineering applications.
PH.D in Chemical and Biological Engineering, May 2013
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