- Browse by Author
Browsing by Author "Collins, Jessica"
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Phase II – Biomechanics of Smooth Muscle Cell Differentiation: Experimental Study Using an Innovative In Vitro Mechanical System(Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2014-04-11) Collins, Jessica; Sheikh, Zahir; Vipra, Niraj; Yeoh, JosephSmooth muscle cells (SMCs) controls involuntary contractions and express different genotypic and phenotypic traits on specific organs such as blood vessels, bladder and stomach. However, studies have shown different SMC lineages tend to gradually lose specific characteristics due to a static milieu without exerting forces that they would experience naturally when cultured in vitro. The research provided in vivo conditions are mimicked effectively in vitro by applying controlled mechanical loading, SMCs should express their differentiated characteristics. We have validated an innovative mechanical device that simulates the pulsatile stretching SMCs undergo in their in vivo environment. Using the new system and cell and molecular biology techniques, we are evaluating cell differentiation and strain induced alignment when phenotypically modulated SMCs undergo cyclic mechanical loading at 10 and 20 percent strains, for 4, 6, or 8 hours at physiological frequency. We collected proteins after stretch experiments and analyzed via western blot, α-actin, γ-actin, transgelin, and calponin protein expression changes in: coronary SMCs strained 10% and 20% at 4, 6, and 8 hours, bladder SMCs strained 10% at 4, 6, and 8 hours, and BAECs for varying intensities and durations. In order to improvise the machine capability, LabVIEW code is been developed as the user interface providing advantageous of Graphical Approach instead of Cool Muscle Language code. Developed coding provide a complete coverage of acquisition, analysis, reporting, and display features to create modern applications that can scale as system requirements change over time. The next phase of this experiment enable analysis of gene expression using quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR). This facet of research may prove valuable in the analysis of the effect of mechanical stress on maintaining SMC lineage as well as the study of how pathological stretch conditions affect SMC and endothelial cell gene and protein expressions.Item Thermodynamic Cycle Analysis for Wave Rotor Combustor Based Combined Cycle(Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, 2013-04-05) Collins, Jessica; Knip, Brian; David, Michael; Edalatnoor, ArashThe conventional combustor that exists in today’s market is a constant pressure device; whereas, the wave rotor combustor investigated in the present research is a constant volume pressure gain device. This pressure gain wave rotor combustor improves the engine efficiency and reduces fuel consumption, engine weight and emissions. The objective of the present study is to observe and analyze the potential benefits of pressure gain combustion. Therefore, thermodynamic analysis has been conducted to evaluate the performance by comparing the simple Brayton constant pressure combustor with the wave rotor constant volume combustor, recuperated engines with unrecuperated engines, the pressure gain combustor with the work producing combustor, and the single stage Brayton cycle to the combined cycle for power generation applications. Thermodynamic analysis has been carried out by developing in-house code using engineering equation solver (EES) software to determine the overall specific fuel consumption, specific work, and efficiency of the constant volume combustion based cycles. A series of experiments have been conducted in the wave rotor combustor rig available at Combustion and Propulsion Research Laboratory, IUPUI. A high speed camera and pressure transducers have been employed to capture the jet ignition characteristics and to measure the pressure fluctuations during the combustion process respectively. Edge detection analysis is being conducted in MATLAB to determine the ignitability and ignition delay time in the combustion chamber. The measured pressure data are analyzed by EES software, using thermo- and gas dynamics theory, which performs exact analysis as opposed to limited previous studies using approximate analysis. This is expected to more accurately quantify the established results that replacing constant pressure with constant volume combustion increases the turbine cycle fuel efficiency. This work should encourage quicker application of constant volume combustion technology in gas turbines and power generation applications.