Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering Commons^™

Supraspinatus Tendon Micromorphology In Individuals With Subacromial Pain Syndrome, Federico Pozzi, Amee L. Seitz, Hillary A. Plummer, Kira Chow, Gregory R. Bashford, Lori A. Michener

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Study Design: Cross-sectional cohort. Introduction: Tendon collagen organization can be estimated by peak spatial frequency radius (PSFR) on ultrasound images. Characterizing PSFR can define the contribution of collagen disruption to shoulder symptoms.

Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this was to characterize the (1) supraspinatus tendon PSFR in participants with sub acromial pain syndrome (SPS) and healthy controls; (2) PSFR between participants grouped on a tendon visual quality score; and (3) relationship between PSFR with patient-reported pain, function, and shoulder strength.

Methods: Participants with SPS (n ¼ 20) and age, sex, and arm-dominance matched healthy controls (n ¼ 20) …

Method For The Production Of Substituted Polysaccharides Via Reactive Extrusion, Milford Hanna, Pratik Bhandari

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

A reactive extrusion process for the production of substituted polysaccharides, in particular, cellulose acetate, starch acetate, carboxymethyl cellulose, and carboxymethyl starch.

The present application claims the benefit of PCT/ US20111059785 filed on Nov. 8, 2011, which claimed the benefit of U.S. provisional application 611411,521, filed on Nov. 9, 2010, U.S. provisional application 611411,992, filed on Nov. 10, 2010, and U.S. provisional application 611472, 748, filed on Apr. 7, 2011, each of which is which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The production of substituted polysaccharides such as starch and cellulose acetates and carboxymethylated starches and celluloses have typically …

Temporal Evaluation Of Corn Respiration Rates Using Pressure Sensors, Gagandeep Singh Ubhi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

High respiration rate of a grain indicates faster degradation of its dry matter. Proper grain management requires chronological and precise measurements of carbon dioxide evolved from grain respiration during the postharvest storage duration. Therefore the main goal of this research was to develop a new technique that evaluates temporal corn respiration rate using pressure sensors. It was based on measuring pressure drop associated with the grain respiration in a closed container and using it to calculate the grain respiration rates.

Dry corn (Zea Mays L.) was procured from a local farmer and stored at 4ºC. Corn rewetting technique was applied …

Development Of A One Pass Microwave Heating Technology For Rice Drying And Decontamination, Deandrae Lynette Smith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An industrial microwave (MW) system operating at 915 MHz frequency was used to dry high moisture content (MC) (23% to 24% wet basis) medium-grain rough rice samples (cv. Jupiter). The rice beds were contained in a modified tray that accommodated up to 9 kg of rice separated by thin fiberglass mesh in 3 kg increments. Each layer of rice was fitted with fiber optic sensors connected to a real time data logger during MW treatments. It was determined that drying rice to a MC of 14% to 16% was feasible with the application of MW specific energy at 600 kJ/kg-grain …

Analysis Of Lid Implementation To Combat Flooding And Erosion At The University Of Arkansas Campus, Madison E. Crowl

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The city of Fayetteville, Arkansas has experienced rapid urbanization throughout recent years as it continues to grow. Within the city, the University of Arkansas has been constantly expanding, with increased impervious surfaces as more parking lots and facilities are built. This has caused issues including flooding and stream bank erosion, specifically in Mullins Creek, which receives runoff from a large part of campus. A portion of the creek was restored, but there are still downstream issues. Low Impact Development (LID) is a type of green infrastructure that has been shown to decrease runoff and increase infiltration. EPA SWMM, a hydrologic …

Improving Flow Measurement Accuracy Using A Portable Irrigation Turnout Calibration Unit, Stuart Styles, Kyle Feist, Charles M. Burt

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

Relatively accurate flow measurement at irrigation district water delivery points is an important component of volumetric billing and equitable service. In California, this has often occurred with conversions to pressurized irrigation systems which commonly include the installation of pipeline flow meters as part of the on-farm system. However, a large portion of irrigation turnouts in the western US continue to operate via gravity and fall into one of the following categories: (a) a metergate, or similar structure was installed without adherence to standard construction requirements or (b) the structure was never intended for flow measurement.

For these and other scenarios, …

Using Electricity Consumption To Estimate Water Volumes Pumped From Wells, Charles M. Burt

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) of California has led some organizations to want access to documentation of the volumes of groundwater pumped by individual wells. Many well pumps already have flow meters installed that provide an accurate measurement of both instantaneous flow rate and the cumulative volume pumped. For wells that do not have flow meters, it has been proposed for many years that pumped volumes can be accurately estimated by simply using the total power consumption, measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh).

Genetically Engineered Organisms: Progress Or Poison, Melina Sansi

Senior Theses

Genetically engineered organisms are a part of almost everything we put into our bodies. More than any other time in history, humans are manipulating plants and organisms on an advanced level. Scientists are able to genetically alter food so that it precisely fills a specific dietary need, or increase crop yields to feed the growing global population expected to reach 9 billion people by the year 2050. Currently 250 million acres worldwide are used to grow genetically modified organisms. Many consumers don’t fully understand the use and impact of genetically engineered organisms for lack of accessible and straightforward information. Federal …

Integrated Life Cycle And Techno-Economic Assessment Of The Conversion Of High Productivity, Low Lipid Algae To Renewable Fuels, Chad R. De Mill

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The production of alternative transportation fuels is imperative to meet future energy demands without contributing to global climate change. Advances in alternative processing techniques that have emerged due to interest in microalgae as a feedstock have led to a variety of potential processing pathways for the production of bio-based fuels. A major hurdle in the algal production process is maintaining a fast and stable algae culture. Monocultures, developed for their high lipid content, suffer from low productivity, are susceptible to crashes and require a constant supply of carbon dioxide to maintain productivity. In an effort to circumvent these obstacles, algal …

Testing Effectiveness Of Aqueous Phases From Struvite And Hydroxyapatite Mineral Precipitation As Algal Nutrient Sources, Aaron Lyons

Virginias Collegiate Honors Council Conference

As interest in algal biofuel grows, the need to explore diverse nutrient sources for growing algae becomes apparent. Struvite and Hydroxyapatite (HAP) were precipitated after flash hydrolysis. The leftover aqueous phase (AP) could serve as nutrients source for algae cultivation and the potential reuse of this waste stream is promising. To test this, 12 bottles of Scenedemus sp., four of Struvite, four of HAP, and four control AM-14 synthetic media were cultivated. 10% of the Phosphorus in the synthetic media was replaced with phosphorous from the struvite AP, and 10% of the nitrogen in the synthetic media was replaced …

High Throughput In Vivo Analysis Of Plant Leaf Chemical Properties Using Hyperspectral Imaging, Piyush Pandey, Yufeng Ge, Vincent Stoerger, James C. Schnable

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

The possibility of predicting plant leaf chemical properties using hyperspectral images was studied. Sixty maize and 60 soybean plants were used, and two experiments were conducted: one with water limitation and the second with nutrient limitation, with the purpose of creating wide ranges of these chemical properties in plant leaf tissues. A hyperspectral imaging system with a spectral range from 550 to 1700 nm was used to acquire plant images in a high throughput fashion (plants placed on an automated conveyor belt). Leaf chemical properties were measured in the laboratory. Partial least squares regression was implemented on spectral data to …

Energy–Water Reduction And Wastewater Reclamation In A Fluid Milk Processing Facility, Carly Rain Adams, Yulie E. Meneses, Bing Wang, Curtis L. Weller

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The energy-water nexus is the inseparable connection linking water and energy. We are faced with a unique opportunity to co-manage these resources, as conservation of one is directly linked to the conservation of its counterpart. Therefore, immediately facing this critical challenge, will lead to tangible impacts on the water and energy crisis our food system is faced with. Determining the role of water and energy in the food industry has proved to be the starting point for reducing the distance between process productivity and resource efficiency. Therefore, this research focuses on determining opportunities for water-energy optimization and wastewater reduction and …

Investigation Of Petroleum Use In Off-Road Agricultural Machinery And Analysis Of J1939 Controller Area Network (Can) Data For Advanced Machinery Testing, Rodney Rohrer

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

Nearly all modern off-road agricultural machinery are powered by petroleum, primarily diesel fuel. Equipment manufacturers work to improve fuel efficiency of their equipment to provide better value to their customers. Benefits of reducing petroleum use include lower operating costs, improved operational efficiency, improved energy security, and environmental benefits. Agricultural tractor testing focuses primarily on characterizing maximum performance but there is a need for advanced test procedures to better measure fuel efficiency for load cases representative of in-field operations. This would help farmers make better equipment purchasing and utilization decisions and help manufacturers quantify efficiency improvements; ultimately driving continued progress toward …

Towards A Cost-Effective Biorefinery : Production Of Activated Carbons From Residual Biomass For Energy Storage Devices., Zachary Dean Herde

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biomass processing for industrial products and biofuels has gained an increasing presence as society looks to using sustainable resources for manufacturing and renewable fuels for energy. However, these sustainably produced materials and products cannot gain a competitive edge because of the manufacturing expenses that are a result of high process temperatures and pressures. In order to lower these costs, theoretical modeling has described a value-added co-product strategy as one of the best ways to combat high bioprocessing prices. Biomass has been shown to make effective carbons for energy storage devices such as supercapacitors and batteries. These carbons, with the right …

Oral History Conversation With Lydell Aaron (Beartha), Alexander Z. Bulkin, Kari Schattinger, Kate L. Gardner, Charbel Mouannes, Danielle Silvaggio

Philosophy: All Student Work

Oral History Interview conducted with Lydell Aaron. He founded Beartha Systems which builds scalable and smart systems that harness energy and resources for small communities.

Using The Vehicle Routing Problem To Reduce Field Completion Times With Multiple Machines, Hasan Seyyedhasani, Joseph S. Dvorak

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

The Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) is a powerful tool used to express many logistics problems, yet unlike other vehicle routing challenges, agricultural field work consists of machine paths that completely cover a field. In this work, the allocation and ordering of field paths among a number of available machines has been transformed into a VRP that enables optimization of completion time for the entire field. A basic heuristic algorithm (a modified form of the common Clarke-Wright algorithm) and a meta-heuristic algorithm, Tabu Search, were employed for optimization. Both techniques were evaluated through computer simulations in two fields: a hypothetical basic …

Influence Of Supply-Channel Velocity On Farm Delivery Meter Gate Flow Measurement, Daniel J. Howes, Charles M. Burt, John M. Thorburn

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

The work presented here is an extension of previous papers that updated the calibration of round (Armco-type) meter gates (three sizes: 0.30, 0.46, and 0.61 m), developed ratings for rectangular gates (two sizes: 0.46 and 0.61 m) on round pipes, and examined errors and uncertainty related to using these devices for water discharge measurement. Previous works examined gate discharge ratings under low supply-channel flow velocity perpendicular to the gate discharge pipeline. Here, additional testing was conducted to test the hypothesis that higher velocities in the supply channel would show decreased meter gate flow compared to the low-velocity ratings, but that …

Contemporary And Future Characteristics Of Precipitation Indices In The Kentucky River Basin, Somsubhra Chattopadhyay, Dwayne R. Edwards, Yao Yu

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Climatic variability can lead to large-scale alterations in the hydrologic cycle, some of which can be characterized in terms of indices involving precipitation depth, duration and frequency. This study evaluated the spatiotemporal behavior of precipitation indices over the Kentucky River watershed for both the baseline period of 1986–2015 and late-century time frame of 2070–2099. Historical precipitation data were collected from 16 weather stations in the watershed, while future rainfall time-series were obtained from an ensemble of 10 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) global circulation models under two future emission pathways: Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5. Annual …

Remediating 1,4-Dioxane-Contaminated Water With Slow-Release Persulfate And Zerovalent Iron, Ann Kambhu, Megan Gren, Wei Tang, Steve D. Comfort, Clifford Harris

Nebraska Water Center: Faculty Publications

1,4-dioxane is an emerging contaminant that was used as a corrosion inhibitor with chlorinated solvents. Metal-activated persulfate can degrade dioxane but reaction kinetics have typically been characterized by a rapid decrease during the first 30 min followed by either a slower decrease or no further change (i.e., plateau). Our objective was to identify the factors responsible for this plateau and then determine if slow-release formulations of sodium persulfate and Fe⁰ could provide a more sustainable degradation treatment. We accomplished this by conducting batch experiments where Fe⁰-activated persulfate was used to treat dioxane. Treatment variables included the timing …

Center Pivot Irrigation Handbook (Ec3017), Derrel Martin, William Kranz, Tyler Smith, Suat Irmak, Charles Burr, Ron Yoder

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Center pivot irrigation has been the most rapidly expanding form of irrigation in the Central Great Plains and across the United States. The amount of land irrigated with sprinkler, gravity and drip or trickle systems was determined for all states in the USA in the Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey1 by the USDA in 2012. Results of the survey for the Great Plains States shows that approximately 85% of the land in Nebraska is irrigated with center pivots and that very little land was irrigated with drip systems in 2012 (Figure 1). The percentage of land irrigated with sprinklers in …