Life Sciences Commons^™

Aerobic Exercise Improves Depressive Symptoms In The Unilateral 6-Ohda-Lesioned Rat Model Of Parkinson's Disease, Hannah Loughlin, Jacob Jackson, Chloe Looman, Alayna Starll, Jeremy Goldman, Zhiying Shan, Chunxiu Yu

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 2

Aerobic exercise has been shown to have established benefits on motor function in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the impact of exercise on depressive symptoms in PD remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of regular exercise, specifically using a forced running wheel, on both motor performance and the prevalence of depression in a unilateral 6-OHDA-lesioned rat model of PD. The behavioral outcomes of exercise were assessed through the rotarod test (RT), forelimb adjusting step test (FAST), sucrose consumption test (SCT), and novelty sucrose splash test (NSST). Our data revealed evident depressive symptoms in the PD animals, characterized by …

Determining The Impacts Of Corn Silage Mixing Ratios On Hydrogen Production From Beef Cattle Manure, Katya Faber-Quimby

Honors Theses

With global warming becoming an increasingly serious threat and a growing population requiring additional energy resources, interest in the production of clean energy from the agricultural sector has surged in popularity. Biohydrogen, also known as green hydrogen, is H₂ that has been produced using renewable energy, such as from agricultural byproducts or waste materials. It presents a promising alternative to nonrenewable resources due to its high potential for energy storage and lack of carbon emissions when used. Cattle manure has been explored as a resource for the production of biohydrogen. Selecting for hydrogen-producing microbes in the manure serves the …

Bioaerosol Size As A Potential Determinant Of Airborne E. Coli Viability Under Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation And Ozone Disinfection, Weixing Hao, Yue-Wern Huang, Yang Wang

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) and ozone disinfection are crucial methods for mitigating the airborne transmission of pathogenic microorganisms in high-risk settings, particularly with the emergence of respiratory viral pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 and avian influenza viruses. This study quantitatively investigates the influence of UVGI and ozone on the viability of E. coli in bioaerosols, with a particular focus on how E. coli viability depends on the size of the bioaerosols, a critical factor that determines deposition patterns within the human respiratory system and the evolution of bioaerosols in indoor environments. This study used a controlled small-scale laboratory chamber where E. …

Will Saf Turbocharge The Corn Ethanol Market?, Richard Perrin, Lilyan Fulginiti, Felipe Miranda De Souza Almeida

Cornhusker Economics

The long-run outlook for the corn ethanol industry is questionable, due to a transition to electric and hybrid vehicles. One source of hope for the long run is the potential demand for producing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). SAF is a key component in the United States Aviation Climate Action Plan, a path to net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the aviation industry by 2050. Demand for ethanol for SAF offers hope to the ethanol industry, but it depends a great deal on policy decisions that are being made now. Here we sketch out this story.

Based on the information available …

Field Research Report: Results From The Enreec Vri Field For The 2021, 2022, And 2023 Crop Seasons, Derek M. Heeren, Ali T. Mohammed, Eric Wilkening, Christopher M. U. Neale, Alan L. Boldt, Ankit Chandra, Precious Nneka Amori, Ivo Z. Goncalves, Yeyin Shi, Guillermo R. Balboa

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Conference Presentations and White Papers

Long-term irrigation management research has been conducted from 2014 to 2023 for corn and soybean at the Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension, and Education Center (ENREEC) Variable Rate Irrigation (VRI) Field located in subhumid east-central Nebraska (in the Lower Platte North Natural Resources District). The objective of this report was to present the overall results from the VRI Field for 2021 to 2023. Across the three growing seasons, there were the following irrigation treatments: Best Management Practice (BMP), 50% BMP, 125% BMP, rainfed, Spatial ET Modeling Interface (SETMI), SDD1, SDD2, machine-learning-based Cyber-Physical System (CPS), a student team recommended rate, and industry …

Evaluation Of Ndot’S Sediment Barrier Practices Using Performance Data, Michael A. Perez, Wesley N. Donald, J. Blake Whitman, Brian G. Roche

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

To protect waterways adjacent to construction projects with disturbed land, a 50 ft (15 m) vegetated buffer or equivalent sediment controls are required. However, there is little guidance on the effectiveness of vegetated buffers in removing sediment or how sediment barriers can aid shorter buffers or replace buffers. A modeling methodology was developed and used to determine the performance of 11,664 50 ft (15 m) vegetated buffer configurations with Nebraska conditions; sediment capture averaged 92.6% and ranged from 18.5% to 99.5%. To determine the performance of Nebraska Department of Transportation standard and modified sediment barrier installations, a large-scale testing methodology …

Wearable Mxene-Graphene Sensing Of Influenza And Sars-Cov-2 Virus In Air And Breath: From Lab To Clinic, Yanxiao Li, Zhekun Peng, Jiaoli Li, Congjie Wei, Shangbin Liu, Weixing Hao, Huanyu Cheng, Casey Burton, Yang Wang, Yue-Wern Huang, Chang Soo Kim, Fang Yao Stephen Hou, Donghyun (Bill) Kim, Chenglin Wu

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The rapidly expanding severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its variants demand a continuous monitoring method through portable and wearable devices. Utilizing the rich surface chemistry and high chemical-to-electrical signal conversion of 2D MXene-graphene heterostructure thin films, a field-effect-transistor (FET) sensor, which has a flexible substrate to be assembled onto the mask and combines with a Bluetooth system for wireless transmission is developed, to detect the influenza and SARS-CoV-2 viruses in air and breath. At first, the developed sensors are examined in the laboratory through direct contact with sensing targets in solution form. The results show a low …

Integrated Rules Classifier For Predicting Pathogenic Non-Synonymous Single Nucleotide Variants In Human, Ahmed Barakat Hosseny, Marwa Said Hassan, A A. Shalan, Shymaa Khamis, M I. Dessouky

Basic Science Engineering

The most prevalent kind of genetic variants in humans are non-synonymous single nucleotide variants (nsSNVs). Several prediction tools have been launched to forecast the effect of amino acid substitutes on human protein function. These tools sort variants as pathogenic or neutral. We developed an Integrated Rules Classifier (Integration Score through JRip “ISTJRip”), which integrates the four individual tools that are publicly available; iFish, Mutation Assessor, FATHMM, and SIFT-based on the JRip machine learning technique. Additionally, we compared the ISTJRip approach with the other three created integration classifiers; Integration Score through J48 “ISTJ48”, Integration Score through RF “ISTRF”, and Integration …

Synergistic Effects Of Nanosecond Pulsed Plasma And Electric Field On Inactivation Of Pancreatic Cancer Cells In Vitro, Edwin A. Oshin, Zobia Minhas, Ruben M. L. Colunga Biancatelli, John D. Catravas, Richard Heller, Siqi Guo, Chunqi Jiang

Bioelectrics Publications

Nanosecond pulsed atmospheric pressure plasma jets (ns-APPJs) produce reactive plasma species, including charged particles and reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), which can induce oxidative stress in biological cells. Nanosecond pulsed electric field (nsPEF) has also been found to cause permeabilization of cell membranes and induce apoptosis or cell death. Combining the treatment of ns-APPJ and nsPEF may enhance the effectiveness of cancer cell inactivation with only moderate doses of both treatments. Employing ns-APPJ powered by 9 kV, 200 ns pulses at 2 kHz and 60-nsPEF of 50 kV/cm at 1 Hz, the synergistic effects on pancreatic cancer cells (Pan02) …

Identification And Characterization Of Two Novel Kcnh2 Mutations Contributing To Long Qt Syndrome, Anthony Owusu-Mensah, Jacqueline Treat, Joyce Bernardi, Ryan Pfeiffer, Robert Goodrow, Bright Tsevi, Victoria Lam, Michel Audette, Jonathan M. Cordeiro, Makarand Deo

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

We identified two different inherited mutations in KCNH2 gene, or human ether-a-go-go related gene (hERG), which are linked to Long QT Syndrome. The first mutation was in a 1-day-old infant, whereas the second was in a 14-year-old girl. The two KCNH2 mutations were transiently transfected into either human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells or human induced pluripotent stem-cell derived cardiomyocytes. We performed associated multiscale computer simulations to elucidate the arrhythmogenic potentials of the KCNH2 mutations. Genetic screening of the first and second index patients revealed a heterozygous missense mutation in KCNH2, resulting in an amino acid change (P632L) in the …

Characterization Of Recent Wild Pig‑Vehicle Collisions In Georgia, Usa, Jeremiah L. Psiropoulos, Emily Howe, John J. Mayer, Sophie C. Mckee

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Vehicle collisions with wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are reported almost everywhere this species is found. However, this is one of the least studied and characterized forms of damage that these invasive animals cause in the United States (US). We analyzed 518 wild pig-vehicle collisions (WPVCs) that took place statewide in Georgia between 2015 and 2021. From that dataset, we analyzed several parameters in order to better understand and characterize these accidents on a scale that had previously not been done in the US. Wild pig-vehicle collisions were reported from 105 out of the 159 counties in Georgia, increasing …

A Review Of Dielectric Barrier Discharge Cold Atmospheric Plasma For Surface Sterilization And Decontamination, Kolawole Adesina, Ta Chun Lin, Yue-Wern Huang, Marek Locmelis, Daoru Frank Han

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Numerous investigations have shown that non-equilibrium discharges at atmospheric pressure, also known as "cold atmospheric plasma" (CAP) are efficient to remove biological contaminants from surfaces of a variety of materials. Recently, CAP has quickly advanced as a technique for microbial cleaning, wound healing, and cancer therapy due to the chemical and biologically active radicals it produces, known collectively as reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). This article reviews studies pertaining to one of the atmospheric plasma sources known as Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) which has been widely used to treat materials with microbes for sterilization, disinfection, and decontamination purposes. To …

Lead Bioaccessibility And Commonly Measured Soil Characteristics (Detroit, Mi, Usa) – Phase 1, Sabrina R. Good, Allison R. Harris, Patrick Crouch, Conor T. Gowan, William D. Shuster, Shawn P. Mcelmurry

Open Data at Wayne State

Contaminated urban soil is one of the major contributors to child Pb exposure. To gain a better understanding of Pb risk in urban areas, composite samples were collected from 142 residential, privately owned, parcels in Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park, Michigan, with approval from the property owners. The proximity of soil sampling and former smelter locations were also reported. Sample were collected from areas covered with turf grass. Four samples were collected, one from each cardinal direction (north, south, east, and west), 20 cm from an aluminum tent stake driven into the center of the sampling site. Soils were collected …

Valorization Of Spent Vetiver Roots For Biochar Generation, Sameer Neve, Dibyendu Sarkar, Manas Warke, Teresa Bandosz, Rupali Datta

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 2

Vetiver root is widely used to produce essential oils in the aromatherapy industry. After the extraction of oil, the roots are disposed of as waste. The central objective of this research was to explore the conversion of this waste into a resource using a circular economy framework. To generate biochar, vetiver roots were pyrolyzed at different temperatures (300, 500, and 700 °C) and residence times (30, 60, and 120 min). Analysis showed the root biochar generated at 500 °C and held for 60 min had the highest surface area of 308.15 m2/g and a yield of 53.76%, in addition to …

Swosu Research And Scholarly Activity Fair 2024, Swosu Office Of Sponsored Programs

SWOSU Research and Scholarly Activity Fair Programs

On behalf of the members of the University Research and Scholarly Activity Committee (USRAC) and the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) at Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) - Welcome to the Thirty-Second SWOSU Research and Scholarly Activity Fair! There are 61 poster presentations and 10 oral presentations involving over 100 student and faculty researchers, writers, presenters, artists, collaborators, and faculty sponsors encompassing activities from the SWOSU Departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry & Physics, Engineering Technology, Kinesiology, Language & Literature, Mathematics, Music, Parks and Recreation Management, Pharmacy, Psychology, and Social Sciences.

Photoluminescence Switching In Quantum Dots Connected With Fluorinated And Hydrogenated Photochromic Molecules, Ephraiem S. Sarabamoun, Jonathan M. Bietsch, Pramod Aryal, Amelia G. Reid, Maurice Curran, Grayson Johnson, Esther H. R. Tsai, Charles W. Machan, Guijun Wang, Joshua J. Choi

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

We investigate switching of photoluminescence (PL) from PbS quantum dots (QDs) crosslinked with two different types of photochromic diarylethene molecules, 4,4'-(1-cyclopentene-1,2-diyl)bis[5-methyl-2-thiophenecarboxylic acid] (1H) and 4,4'-(1-perfluorocyclopentene-1,2-diyl)bis[5-methyl-2-thiophenecarboxylic acid] (2F). Our results show that the QDs crosslinked with the hydrogenated molecule (1H) exhibit a greater amount of switching in photoluminescence intensity compared to QDs crosslinked with the fluorinated molecule (2F). With a combination of differential pulse voltammetry and density functional theory, we attribute the different amount of PL switching to the different energy levels between 1H and 2F molecules which result in different potential barrier …

Monitoring Time Domain Characteristics Of Parkinson's Disease Using 3d Memristive Neuromorphic System, Md Abu Bakr Siddique, Yan Zhang, Hongyu An

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 2

INTRODUCTION: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting millions of patients. Closed-Loop Deep Brain Stimulation (CL-DBS) is a therapy that can alleviate the symptoms of PD. The CL-DBS system consists of an electrode sending electrical stimulation signals to a specific region of the brain and a battery-powered stimulator implanted in the chest. The electrical stimuli in CL-DBS systems need to be adjusted in real-time in accordance with the state of PD symptoms. Therefore, fast and precise monitoring of PD symptoms is a critical function for CL-DBS systems. However, the current CL-DBS techniques suffer from high computational demands for real-time …

Barriers To Use Of Cross-Laminated Timber In Maine, Shane R. O'Neill

Forest Resources Faculty Scholarship

To increase understanding of both the adoption rate and in-state manufacturing of mass timber In Maine, the 131^st Legislature and Governor Mills passed LD 881, a resolve directing a study of the barriers facing cross-laminated timber In Maine and provide recommendations to promote their use in construction. This study was developed in response to the resolve. The study engaged 108 unique participants to define available training, education, and experiences across the stakeholders throughout the building lifecycle process in the state.

From this information, the following five recommendations are proposed:

1. Understand the policies and initiatives of other states to develop …

A Comprehensive Review On Metal Oxide-Nanocellulose Composites In Sustainable Active And Intelligent Food Packaging, Kalpani Y. Perera, Amit Jaiswal, Swarma Jaiswal, Dileswar Pradhan

Articles

The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the potential advantages and drawbacks of nanocellulose and metal oxide-based composites in food packaging. These materials offer improved mechanical and barrier properties, as well as antioxidant and antimicrobial benefits that extend the shelf life of food products. Nanocomposite structures protect food from various physiological factors and immobilize enzymes, while metal oxide nanoparticles provide antibacterial effects against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. However, there are concerns regarding the safety of nanoparticles and their potential migration into packaged food during processing and storage. This article explores these issues and highlights the need …

Aicropcam: Deploying Classification, Segmentation, Detection, And Counting Deep-Learning Models For Crop Monitoring On The Edge, Nipuna Chamara, Geng (Frank) Bai, Yufeng Ge

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

Precision Agriculture (PA) promises to meet the future demands for food, feed, fiber, and fuel while keeping their production sustainable and environmentally friendly. PA relies heavily on sensing technologies to inform site-specific decision supports for planting, irrigation, fertilization, spraying, and harvesting. Traditional point-based sensors enjoy small data sizes but are limited in their capacity to measure plant and canopy parameters. On the other hand, imaging sensors can be powerful in measuring a wide range of these parameters, especially when coupled with Artificial Intelligence. The challenge, however, is the lack of computing, electric power, and connectivity infrastructure in agricultural fields, preventing …

Enhancing Urban Water Quality Through Biological-Chemical Treatment: Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Community And Temporal Chlorophyll-A Response, Matthew Chaffee

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

With a growing human population, urbanization is impeding a plethora of natural waterways. Of these, urban ponds play a vital role in nutrient sequestration, flood prevention, and habitat sanctuaries. However, nutrient loading can reduce habitat effectiveness and promote harmful algae blooms. To reduce internal nutrient loads, a biological-chemical treatment strategy consisting of floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) and lanthanum were applied to two urban retention ponds, Densmore and Wilderness Ridge Ponds. To measure effectiveness, chlorophyll-a samples were collected and correlated with Sentinel-2. A novel band algorithm termed 3BR1 produced a strong correlation (R² = 0.72) to physical chlorophyll-a …

Responses Of Maize To Different Irrigation Regimes In Semi-Arid Western Nebraska, Swathi Palle

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

As the “Cornhusker State”, Maize (Zea mays) is an important crop in Nebraska. However, farmers in the state are challenged by unstable supply of surface water and limited groundwater resources. A better understanding of maize's response to water stress that occurs at different growth stages can help implement the best irrigation practices that conserve water while maintaining yields. In this study, we conducted field experiments at the Panhandle Research, Extension, and Education Center to compare the responses of maize to eight irrigation treatments which included both limited and deficit irrigation regimes during 2022 and 2023 growing seasons. Specifically, …

Renovating The Ipmu Via Internet Of Things For Pollutant Emission Estimations In Poultry Facilities, Joshua Dotto

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The emissions of ammonia (NH₃), particulate matter (PM_2.5), and carbon dioxide (CO₂) are major concerns in poultry facilities. They can pose environmental concerns and nuances. Robust and affordable measurement systems are needed to accurately measure in-barn concentrations and quantify the emissions.

The Intelligent Portable Monitoring Unit (iPMU or PMU3) developed in 2016 was reconstructed into PMU4 to include upgraded NH₃ and PM_2.5 sensors and wireless connectivity for a low-cost, robust, and accurate air quality monitoring device with contactless data transfer using the concept of Internet of Things (IoT). In addition, a user-friendly …

Validation Of Machine Vision And Action Sport Cameras For 3d Motion Analysis Model Reconstruction, John David Johnson, Michael Hales, Randy Emert

Faculty and Research Publications

The study investigated the feasibility of using action sport cameras for motion analysis research. Data acquired from two different marker-based motion capture systems and six different camera combinations were analyzed for motion reconstruction accuracy. Two different calibration procedures were used to determine the influence on marker position reconstruction. Static and dynamic calibration mean merit score differences between the reference and experimental camera systems were 0.4 mm and 1.3 mm, respectively. Angular displacement difference between the reference and experimental camera systems range between 0.1 and 2.0 degrees. A systematic bias (− 0.54 to 0.19 degrees) was determined between the reference and …

An Overview Of Elements And Relations: Aspects Of A Scientific Metaphysics, Martin Zwick

Systems Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

A talk on my book, Elements and Relations: Aspects of a Scientific Metaphysics. Book description:

This book develops the core proposition that systems theory is an attempt to construct an “exact and scientific metaphysics,” a system of general ideas central to science that can be expressed mathematically. Collectively, these ideas would constitute a non-reductionist “theory of everything” unlike what is being sought in physics. Inherently transdisciplinary, systems theory offers ideas and methods that are relevant to all of the sciences and also to professional fields such as systems engineering, public policy, business, and social work. To demonstrate the generality …

Motif-Cluster: A Spatial Clustering Package For Repetitive Motif Binding Patterns, Mengyuan Zhou

Department of Computer Science and Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Previous efforts in using genome-wide analysis of transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) have overlooked the importance of ranking potential significant regulatory regions, especially those with repetitive binding within a local region. Identifying these homogenous binding sites is critical because they have the potential to amplify the binding affinity and regulation activity of transcription factors, impacting gene expression and cellular functions. To address this issue, we developed an open-source tool Motif-Cluster that prioritizes and visualizes transcription factor regulatory regions by incorporating the idea of local motif clusters. Motif-Cluster can rank the significant transcription factor regulatory regions without the need for experimental …

An Evaluation Of Parameters Which Affect Dairy Herd Movement On Irish Pasture-Based Farms, Paul James Maher, Michael D. Murphy, Michael Egan, Patrick Tuohy

Publications

In pasture-based grazing systems, farm roadways are a pivotal link to connect paddocks on the grazing platform to the milking parlour. However, their effectiveness in the efficient movement of the dairy herd between the grazing paddocks and the milking parlour has yet to be fully quantified. A validation experiment was conducted on a research farm to analyse characteristics on farm roadways that may affect cow throughput, which was observed as the number of cows per minute (CPM) passing a specified location. Roadway width (R2 = 0.96) and surface condition score (SC) (R2 = 0.78, respectively) were both positively associated with …

Coexistence Of Specialist And Generalist Species Within Mixed Plastic Derivative-Utilizing Microbial Communities, Laura G. Schaerer, Lindsay I. Putman, Isaac Bigcraft, Emma Byrne, Daniel G. Kulas, Ali Zolghadr, Sulihat Aloba, Rebecca Ong, David Shonnard, Stephen Techtmann

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 2

BACKGROUND Plastic-degrading microbial isolates offer great potential to degrade, transform, and upcycle plastic waste. Tandem chemical and biological processing of plastic wastes has been shown to substantially increase the rates of plastic degradation however, the focus of this work has been almost entirely on microbial isolates (either bioengineered or naturally occurring). We propose that a microbial community has even greater potential for plastic upcycling. A microbial community has greater metabolic diversity to process mixed plastic waste streams and has built-in functional redundancy for optimal resilience. RESULTS Here, we used two plastic-derivative degrading communities as a model system to investigate the …

Deep Semantic Hashing For Aerial Livestock Detection, Shosei Anegawa, Franz Kurfess, Sumona Mukhopadhyay

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

The goal of this project is to be able to accurately detect and count livestock in footage captured by a drone in real time. The main problems with this arise from the fact that a drone can only carry limited computing resources, and hashing is conventionally thought of as a great method of doing image classification very quickly and thus even on low-power devices. In this project, we use both a Faster-RCNN, which is a state-of-the art object detection model as a benchmark to develop a hashing model that can perform a similar task much more quickly. These two models …

Reconstructing 42 Years (1979–2020) Of Great Lakes Surface Temperature Through A Deep Learning Approach, Miraj Kayastha, Tao Liu, Daniel Titze, Timothy C. Havens, Chenfu Huang, Pengfei Xue

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 2

Accurate estimates for the lake surface temperature (LST) of the Great Lakes are critical to understanding the regional climate. Dedicated lake models of various complexity have been used to simulate LST but they suffer from noticeable biases and can be computationally expensive. Additionally, the available historical LST datasets are limited by either short temporal coverage (<30 >years) or lower spatial resolution (0.25° × 0.25°). Therefore, in this study, we employed a deep learning model based on Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) neural networks to produce a daily LST dataset for the Great Lakes that spans an unparalleled 42 years (1979–2020) at …