Other Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Interaction Networks Are Driven By Community-Responsive Phenotypes In A Chitin-Degrading Consortium Of Soil Microbes, Ryan Mcclure, Yuuliya Farris, Robert Danczak, William Nelson, Hyun-Seob Song, Aimee Kessell, Joon-Yong Lee, Sneha Couvillion, Christopher Henry, Janet K. Jansson, Kristen S. Hofmockel

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Soil microorganisms provide key ecological functions that often rely on metabolic interactions between individual populations of the soil microbiome. To better understand these interactions and community processes, we used chitin, a major carbon and nitrogen source in soil, as a test substrate to investigate microbial interactions during its decomposition. Chitin was applied to a model soil consortium that we developed, “model soil consortium-2” (MSC-2), consisting of eight members of diverse phyla and including both chitin degraders and nondegraders. A multiomics approach revealed how MSC-2 community-level processes during chitin decomposition differ from monocultures of the constituent species. Emergent properties of both …

Electrochemical Biosensing And Deep Learning-Based Approaches In The Diagnosis Of Covid-19: A Review, Omer Sadak, Ferhat Sadak, Ozal Yildirim, Nicole M. Iverson, Rizwan Qureshi, Muhammed Talo, Chui Ping Ooi, U. Rajendra Acharya, Sundaram Gunasekaran, Tanvir Alam

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

COVID-19 caused by the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 virus taking a huge toll on global health and caused life-threatening medical complications and elevated mortality rates, especially among older adults and people with existing morbidity. Current evidence suggests that the virus spreads primarily through respiratory droplets emitted by infected persons when breathing, coughing, sneezing, or speaking. These droplets can reach another person through their mouth, nose, or eyes, resulting in infection. The "gold standard'' for clinical diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 is the laboratory-based nucleic acid amplification test, which includes the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test on nasopharyngeal swab samples. The main concerns …

Crop Response To Thermal Stress Without Yield Loss In Irrigated Maize And Soybean In Nebraska, Sandeep Bhatti, Derek M. Heeren, Steven R. Evett, Susan A. O'Shaughnessy, Daran Rudnick, Trenton E. Franz, Yufeng Ge, Christopher M.U. Neale

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Thermal sensing provides rapid and accurate estimation of crop water stress through canopy temperature data. Canopy temperature is highly dependent on the transpiration rate of the leaves. It is usually assumed that any reduction in crop evapotranspiration (ET) leads to crop yield loss. As a result, an increase in canopy temperature due to a decrease in crop ET would indicate crop yield loss. This research evaluated the hypothesis that crop water stress could be detected using canopy temperature measurements (increased leaf temperature) from infrared thermometers (IRTs) before incurring crop yield loss. This would be possible in a narrow range when …

Real-Time Irrigation Scheduling Of Maize Using Degrees Above Non-Stressed (Dans) Index In Semi-Arid Environment, Hope Njuki Nakabuye, Daran Rudnick, Kendall C. Dejonge, Tsz Him Lo, Derek M. Heeren, Xin Qiao, Trenton E. Franz, Abia Katimbo, Jiaming Duan

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Irrigation scheduling methods have been used to determine the timing and amount of water applied to crops. Scheduling techniques can include measurement of soil water content, quantification of crop water use, and monitoring of crop physiological response to water stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of a simplified crop canopy temperature measurement (CTM) method as Irrigation Principles. Soil and Water Conservation Engineera technique to schedule irrigation for maize. Specifically, the Degrees Above Non-Stressed (DANS) index, which suggests water stress when canopy temperature exceeds the non-stressed canopy temperature (T_cns), was determined by estimating T …

Modeling Actual Evapotranspiration With Msi-Sentinel Images And Machine Learning Algorithms, Robson Argolo Dos Santos, Everardo Chartuni Mantovani, Elpídio Inácio Fernandes-Filho, Roberto Filgueiras, Rodrigo Dal Sasso Lourenço, Vinícius Bof Bufon, Christopher M. U. Neale

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

The modernization of computational resources and application of artificial intelligence algorithms have led to advancements in studies regarding the evapotranspiration of crops by remote sensing. Therefore, this research proposed the application of machine learning algorithms to estimate the ET_rF (Evapotranspiration Fraction) of sugar can crop using the METRIC (Mapping Evapotranspiration at High Resolution with Internalized Calibration) model with data from the Sentinel-2 satellites constellation. In order to achieve this goal, images from the MSI sensor (MultiSpectral Instrument) from the Sentinel-2 and the OLI (Operational Land Imager) and TIRS (Thermal Infrared Sensor) sensors from the Landsat-8 were acquired nearly …

Ag-Iot For Crop And Environment Monitoring: Past, Present, And Future, Nipuna Chamara, Md Didarul Islam, Geng Bai, Yeyin Shi, Yufeng Ge

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

CONTEXT: Automated monitoring of the soil-plant-atmospheric continuum at a high spatiotemporal resolution is a key to transform the labor-intensive, experience-based decision making to an automatic, data-driven approach in agricultural production. Growers could make better management decisions by leveraging the real-time field data while researchers could utilize these data to answer key scientific questions. Traditionally, data collection in agricultural fields, which largely relies on human labor, can only generate limited numbers of data points with low resolution and accuracy. During the last two decades, crop monitoring has drastically evolved with the advancement of modern sensing technologies. Most importantly, the introduction …

Behavior Of Novel Cementitious Composites For Use In Sustainable Construction And Rehabilitation, Noah A. Thibodeaux

Dissertations

Cementitious composites are a class of cement-based materials that incorporate a cement paste and other constituents to form a composite material. Cementitious composites may include coarse and/or fine aggregate, admixtures, supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), or fibers in order to achieve a desired workability, strength, or durability property.

Recently, material scientists and engineers have developed a variety of novel cementitious composites for the purpose of new construction, rehabilitation, and reconstruction applications. Such materials can be used to improve the sustainability of civil infrastructure through the use of recycled, repurposed, or low-embodied carbon materials. Since many of the qualification standards and tests …

Neonicotinoid Pesticide And Nitrate Mixture Removal And Persistence In Floating Treatment Wetlands, Julia K. Lindgren, Tiffany L. Messer, Daniel N. Miller, Daniel D. Snow, Thomas G. Franti

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Mesocosm and microcosm experiments were conducted to explore the applicability of floating treatment wetlands (FTWs), an ecologically based management technology, to remove neonicotinoid insecticides and nitrate from surface water. The mesocosm experiment evaluated three treatments in triplicate over a 21-d period. Floating treatment wetland mesocosms completely removed nitrate-N over the course of the experiment even when neonicotinoid insecticides were present. At the completion of the experiment, 79.6% of imidacloprid and degradation byproducts and 68.3% of thiamethoxam and degradation byproducts were accounted for in the water column. Approximately 3% of imidacloprid and degradation byproducts and 5.0% of thiamethoxam and degradation byproducts …

Using 2d Hec-Ras Modeling With Vertical Feature Extraction To Inform Ecological Design In The Lower Atchafalaya River Basin, Louisiana, Colin Anderson

LSU Master's Theses

A 2D HEC-RAS model was created to demonstrate applications of hydraulic modeling for informing ecological design. This was done by comparing the hydrologic conditions of a baseline year (2010) to that of the environmental flow prescription from Kozak et al. (2016). The inundation results are relevant to hydraulic connectivity and cypress regeneration.

The hydraulic model was created by assimilating numerous data sources, refining the model with vertical feature (VF) extraction, and calibrating/validating the model. Several topo-bathymetric sources were combined to create the digital elevation model (DEM). Most importantly, this included bathymetry of the backswamp. Polylines of significant VFs in the …

Permafrost Landscape History Shapes Fluvial Chemistry, Ecosystem Carbon Balance, And Potential Trajectories Of Future Change, Scott Zolkos, Suzanne E. Tank, Steven V. Kokelj, Robert G. Striegl, Sarah Shakil, Carolina Voigt, Oliver Sonnentag, William L. Quinton, Edward A. G. Schuur, Donatella Zona, Peter M. Lafleur, Ryan C. Sullivan, Masahito Ueyama, David P. Billesbach, David Cook, Elyn R. Humphreys, Philip Marsh

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Intensifying permafrost thaw alters carbon cycling by mobilizing large amounts of terrestrial substrate into aquatic ecosystems. Yet, few studies have measured aquatic carbon fluxes and constrained drivers of ecosystem carbon balance across heterogeneous Arctic landscapes. Here, we characterized hydrochemical and landscape controls on fluvial carbon cycling, quantified fluvial carbon fluxes, and estimated fluvial contributions to ecosystem carbon balance across 33 watersheds in four ecoregions in the continuous permafrost zone of the western Canadian Arctic: unglaciated uplands, ice-rich moraine, and organic-rich lowlands and till plains. Major ions, stable isotopes, and carbon speciation and fluxes revealed patterns in carbon cycling across ecoregions …

Use Of A Trial Function Method To Semi-Analytically Simulate Matrix Diffusion In Heterogeneous And Fractured Media, Kien Trung Pham

All Dissertations

A semi-analytic trial function model is applied to simulate matrix diffusion in systems of parallel fractures, 2-D/3-D discrete fracture networks, and in 3-D heterogeneous media. The trial function model gives low normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) when compared to the parallel fracture analytical solution over a range of fracture spacing, with considerations for retardation and decay. The semi-analytic trial function model is efficient in time and maintains less than 6% NRMSE when it simulates matrix diffusive transport in 2-D/3-D discrete fracture networks (DFN). The model can predict DFN plume within a few meters of accuracy compared to fine-grid DFN …

On The Application Of Dynamical Measures Of Hydrologic Response To Prediction And Similarity Assessment In Watersheds, Prashanta Bajracharya

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Prediction in Ungauged Basins (PUB) initiative set out to improve the understanding of hydrological processes with an aim of improving hydrologic models for application in ungauged basins. With a majority of basins around the world essentially ungauged, this suggests the need to shift from calibration-based models that rely on observed streamflow data to models based on process understanding. This is especially important in natural infrastructure planning projects such as investments in the conservation of wetlands across the watershed, where the lack of streamflow data hinders the quantification of their benefits (such as flood attenuation), resulting in a difficulty in …

Efficiency Of Bank Filtration In The Removal Of Cyanotoxins Under Different Levels Of Nutrients, Luke Walkenhorst

Civil and Environmental Engineering Theses, Dissertations, and Student Research

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) are an increasing concern not only in Nebraska, but across the world. Increasing global temperatures in conjunction with overuse of synthetic fertilizers are leading causes to the increasing frequency and concern of HABs. In the present work, the effectiveness of simulated bank filtration (BF), as an economical water treatment option, to remove cyanotoxins under different levels of nutrients (nitrates and phosphates) was investigated. Vertical flow-through columns pre-acclimated with two levels of nutrients (e.g., nitrate and phosphate—10 vs. 50 mg/L) were exposed to two different levels of cyanotoxins (10 vs. 75 μg/L). Results from the study confirmed …

Effect Of Bromoform And Linseed Oil On Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Stored Beef Manure, Andrew Ortiz Balsero, Mara Zelt, Amy Millmier Schmidt, Miguel Fudolig, Daniel N. Miller

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide – potent greenhouse gases - from stored beef feedlot manure are a significant concern relative to climate change. Research on methane reduction strategies for enteric emissions has identified the application of organic additives, such as bromoform and linseed oil, to ruminant diets as potential solutions for reducing enteric emissions and pathogenic bacteria in excreted manure. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of bromoform and linseed oil on greenhouse gas emissions from beef feedlot manure, and on E. coli concentration in beef cattle manure, during a 5-week storage period. …

Development An Edge-Computing Sensing Unit For Continuous Measurement Of Canopy Cover Percentage Of Dry Edible Beans, Wei-Zhen Liang, Joseph Oboamah, Xin Qiao, Yufeng Ge, Robert M. Harveson, Daran R. Rudnick, Jun Wang, Haishun Yang, Angie Gradiz

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Canopy cover (CC) is an important indicator for crop development. Currently, CC can be estimated indirectly by measuring leaf area index (LAI), using commercially available hand-held meters. However, it does not capture the dynamics of CC. Continuous CC monitoring is essential for dry edible beans production since it can affect crop water use, weed, and disease control. It also helps growers to closely monitor “yellowness”, or senescence of dry beans to decide proper irrigation cutoff to allow the crop to dry down for harvest. The goal of this study was to develop a device – CanopyCAM, containing software and hardware …

Study On Strength And Volume Stability Of Coral Mortar, Qingzong Xue

International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures

No abstract provided.

Data-Driven Prioritization And Empirical Predictions For Bridge Scour In Nebraska, Awgku Ahmad Hashim Awg Bolhasan

Civil and Environmental Engineering Theses, Dissertations, and Student Research

The effect of scour at the bridge substructure results in an increase in the vulnerability of the overall bridge stability. Previous studies have found that current guidelines are often overly-conservative with respect to scour. This project aims to provide guidance on hydraulic modeling parameters and reasonable scour estimates specific to Nebraska conditions. This will enable engineers to assess bridge sites for scour more precisely for efficient and effective design and countermeasures.

Four sites were surveyed for scour changes between the period of December 9, 2020, to April 20, 2021. At these four sites, overland and bathymetry survey data were collected. …

Mechanical And Durability Properties Of Geopolymer Concrete – A Review, Lelian Elkhatib, Fadi Al Aridi, Adel Elkordi, Jamal Khatib

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

Owing to the ongoing increase in human population, there is a need for more construction projects including residential buildings and other amenities. Concrete is by far the dominant material used in construction and cement is a main ingredient. Cement manufacture is an energy intensive process and emit large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. A reduction in the amount of cement used in construction is greatly beneficial. The use of geopolymer or alkali activated materials can serve this purpose as it attempts to totally replace cement in concrete. Geopolymers are materials that consist mainly of silica and alumina materials …

Axial Hypersensitivity Is Associated With Aberrant Nerve Sprouting In A Novel Model Of Disc Degeneration In Female Sprague Dawley Rats, David J. Lillyman, Fei San Lee, Evie C. Barnett, Tyler J. Miller, Moreno Lozano Alvaro, Henry C. Drvol, Rebecca A. Wachs

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Chronic low back pain is a global socioeconomic crisis and treatments are lacking in part due to inadequate models. Etiological research suggests that the predominant pathology associated with chronic low back pain is intervertebral disc degeneration. Various research teams have created rat models of disc degeneration, but the clinical translatability of these models has been limited by an absence of robust chronic painlike behavior. To address this deficit, disc degeneration was induced via an artificial annular tear in female Sprague Dawley rats. The subsequent degeneration, which was allowed to progress for 18-weeks, caused a drastic reduction in disc volume. Furthermore, …

A Segmentation-Guided Deep Learning Framework For Leaf Counting, Xijian Fan, Rui Zhou, Tardi Tjahjadi, Sruti Das Choudhury, Qiaolin Ye

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Deep learning-based methods have recently provided a means to rapidly and effectively extract various plant traits due to their powerful ability to depict a plant image across a variety of species and growth conditions. In this study, we focus on dealing with two fundamental tasks in plant phenotyping, i.e., plant segmentation and leaf counting, and propose a two-steam deep learning framework for segmenting plants and counting leaves with various size and shape from two-dimensional plant images. In the first stream, a multi-scale segmentation model using spatial pyramid is developed to extract leaves with different size and shape, where the fine-grained …