Digital Commons Network^™

Large Direct Repeats Flank Genomic Rearrangements Between A New Clinical Isolate Of Francisella Tularensis Subsp. Tularensis A1 And Schu S4, Ufuk Nalbantoglu, Khalid Sayood, Michael P. Dempsey, Peter C. Iwen, Stephen C. Francesconi, Ravi D. Barabote, Gary Xie, Thomas S. Brettin, Steven H. Hinrichs, Paul D. Fey

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

Francisella tularensis subspecies tularensis consists of two separate populations A1 and A2. This report describes the complete genome sequence of NE061598, an F. tularensis subspecies tularensis A1 isolated in 1998 from a human with clinical disease in Nebraska, United States of America. The genome sequence was compared to Schu S4, an F. tularensis subspecies tularensis A1a strain originally isolated in Ohio in 1941. It was determined that there were 25 nucleotide polymorphisms (22 SNPs and 3 indels) between Schu S4 and NE061598; two of these polymorphisms were in potential virulence loci. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis demonstrated that NE061598 was an …

Updating The Nebraska Pumping Plant Performance Criteria, William Kranz, Derrel L. Martin, Dean Patterson, Jerry Hudgins, Simon Van Donk, C. Dean Yonts

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Presentations and White Papers

Irrigation water is removed from groundwater storage using deep well turbine pumps powered by electric motors or diesel, gasoline, propane, ethanol, or natural gas internal combustion engines. For best operating efficiency irrigation power units are selected to specifically meet the requirements of the irrigation system that include how deep the water in the well is under pumping conditions, the water pressure required at the pump outlet, and the system flow rate. The evaluation of pumping plants to establish pumping plant performance dates back into the 1950’s when researchers at the University of Nebraska were unable to directly compare the operation …

Cytotoxicity Of Bacterial-Derived Toxins To Immortal Lung Epithelial And Macrophage Cells, Dianne E. Peterson, Jayne M. Collier, Matthew E. Katterman, Rachel A. Turner, Mark R. Riley

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Health risks associated with inhalation and deposition of biological materials have been a topic of great concern due to highly publicized cases of inhalation anthrax, of new regulations on the release of particulate matter, and to increased concerns on the hazards of indoor air pollution. Here, we present an evaluation of the sensitivity of two immortal cell lines (A549, human lung carcinoma epithelia) and NR8383 (rat alveolar macrophages) to a variety of bacterial-derived inhalation hazards and simulants including etoposide, gliotoxin, streptolysin O, and warfarin. The cell response is evaluated through quantification of changes in mitochondrial succinate dehydrogenase activity, release of …

River Influences On Shelf Ecosystems: Introduction And Synthesis, Barbara M. Hickey, Raphael M. Kudela, Jonathan Nash, Kenneth W. Bruland, William T. Peterson, P. Maccready, Evelyn J. Lessard, David A. Jay, Neil S. Banas, Antonio M. Baptista, Edward P. Dever, P. Michael Kosro, Levi Kilcher, Alexander R. Horner-Devine, Edward D. Zaron, Ryan M. Mccabe, Jay O. Peterson, Philip M. Orton, Jiayi Pan

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

River Influences on Shelf Ecosystems (RISE) is the first comprehensive interdisciplinary study of the rates and dynamics governing the mixing of river and coastal waters in an eastern boundary current system, as well as the effects of the resultant plume on phytoplankton standing stocks, growth and grazing rates, and community structure. The RISE Special Volume presents results deduced from four field studies and two different numerical model applications, including an ecosystem model, on the buoyant plume originating from the Columbia River. This introductory paper provides background information on variability during RISE field efforts as well as a synthesis of results, …

An Investigation Of Humeral Stress Fractures In Racing Thoroughbreds Using A 3d Finite Element Model In Conjunction With A Bone Remodeling Algorithm, Ryan James Moore

Master's Theses

The humerus of a racing horse Thoroughbred is highly susceptible to stress fractures at a characteristic location as a result of cyclic loading. The propensity of a Thoroughbred to exhibit humeral fracture has made equines useful models in the epidemiology of stress fractures. In this study, a racing Thoroughbred humerus was simulated during training using a 3D finite element model in conjunction with a bone remodeling algorithm. Nine muscle forces and two contact forces were applied to the 3-dimensional finite element model, which contains four separate load cases representing fore-stance, mid-stance, aft-stance, and standing. Four different training programs were incorporated …

Surface Engineering Of Macrophages With Nanoparticles To Generate A Cell-Nanoparticle Hybrid Vehicle For Hypoxia-Targeted Drug Delivery, Christopher A. Holden, Quan Yuan, W. Andrew Yeudall, Deborah A. Lebman, Hu Yang

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Tumors frequently contain hypoxic regions that result from a shortage of oxygen due to poorly organized tumor vasculature. Cancer cells in these areas are resistant to radiation- and chemotherapy, limiting the treatment efficacy. Macrophages have inherent hypoxia-targeting ability and hold great advantages for targeted delivery of anticancer therapeutics to cancer cells in hypoxic areas. However, most anticancer drugs cannot be directly loaded into macrophages because of their toxicity. In this work, we designed a novel drug delivery vehicle by hybridizing macrophages with nanoparticles through cell surface modification. Nanoparticles immobilized on the cell surface provide numerous new sites for anticancer drug …

Fourier Transform Infrared Microspectroscopy And Multivariate Methods For Radiobiological Dosimetry, Aidan Meade, Colin Clarke, Hugh Byrne, Fiona Lyng

Articles

The scientific literature contains an ever-growing number of reports of applications of vibrational spectroscopy as a multivariate non-invasive tool for analysis of biological effects at the molecular level. Recently, Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy (FTIRM) has been demonstrated to be sensitive to molecular events occurring in cells and tissue after exposure to ionizing radiation. In this work the application of FTIRM in the examination of dose-dependent molecular effects occurring in skin cells after exposure to ionizing radiation with the use of partial least-squares regression (PLSR) and generalized regression neural networks (GRNN) was studied. The methodology is shown to be sensitive to …

Inter-Relationship Of Mechanical And Bio-Chemical Processes Governing The Settlement Of Municipal Solid Waste (Msw) Using The (C +H)/L Ratio, Joseph John Lifrieri

Dissertations

This research discusses the results of experimentation that determines the rates and magnitudes of consolidation and settlement of solid waste materials dependent upon their actual state of biodegradation decomposition and time in place. The state of decomposition of waste is determined by measuring its cellulose plus hemicellulose to lignin ratio ((C + H)/L). The samples were collected from bioreactors, at consecutive time intervals, to simulate states of decomposition.

Each sample was tested in consolidation to determine the value of the primary compression index C' _c, the secondary compression index "the inorganic creep rate" coefficient, C' _α, and the …

End-Of-Life Analysis Of Nanotechnology Products, Sun Olapiriyakul

Dissertations

Previous research has shown that thermodynamic properties including melting point and specific heat capacity of nanomaterials may be higher than that of their corresponding bulk materials. The melting point elevation and specific heat capacity enhancement of nanomaterials may result in increased energy consumption and waste gases emission at the end-of-life (EOL) stage where the products containing nanomaterials are recycled by high temperature metal recovery (HTMR) process.

In this dissertation, the effect of physical characteristics of nanomaterials, referred to as physicochemical parameters, on their melting temperature and specific heat capacity was investigated. In addition, physical, chemical, and thermodynamic properties of nanomaterials …

Stiffness Of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells From Aged Primates Measured Using Reconstituted Tissue Model, Shilpa Nagendra

Theses

Increased stiffness of the aorta is an important detrimental change that occurs with aging. Most previous research has implicated stiffening of the extracellular collagen matrix with age. The study reported in this thesis focused instead on the potential contribution from stiffening of the vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) with age.

VSMCs previously obtained from young and old monkeys (macaca fascicularis) were seeded into a collagen gel to form a reconstituted tissue. The aim of this study was to quantitatively characterize the mechanical properties of this reconstituted tissue model via uniaxially stretching each ring to defined levels of strain. The total …

A Comparative Analysis Of Haptic And Eeg Devices For Evaluation And Training Of Post-Stroke Patients Within A Virtual Environment, Gregory Nicholas Ranky

Theses

Virtual Rehabilitation benefits from the usage of interfaces other than the mouse and keyboard, but also possess disadvantages: haptic peripherals can utilize the subject's hand to provide position information or joint angles, and allow direct training for specific movements; but can also place unneeded strain on the limbs; brain-machine interfaces (BMI) can provide direct connections from the user to external hardware or software, but are currently inaccurate for the full diversity of user movements in daily life and require invasive surgery to implement. A compromise between these two extremes is a BMI that can be adapted to specific users, can …

Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Biofuels: Variability, Uncertainty, And Steps Toward Accurate Regulation, Adam J. Liska, Bruce E. Dale

Adam Liska Papers

a)Variability in life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from corn-ethanol:
biorefineries
cropping systems
co-product feeding to livestock

b) EPA regulation of life cycle GHG emissions from biofuels & use of life cycle analysis (LCA):
uncertainties & inaccuracies
indirect effects

c) Building accurate knowledge infrastructure, theory, and research teams for accurate LCA methods for biofuels

The Nucleus 2009-2010, Rosalie A. Richards

Science Education Center

No abstract provided.

Recovery Of Rectified Signals From Hot-Wire/Film Anemometers Due To Flow Reversal In Oscillating Flows, Yingchen Yang, Douglas L. Jones, Chang Liu

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Hot-wire/film anemometers have been broadly used in experimental studies in fluid mechanics, acoustics, and ocean engineering. Yet, it is well known that hot-wire/film anemometers rectify the signal outputs due to the lack of sensitivity to flow direction. This main drawback, in turn, makes them less useful for diverse fluctuating flow measurements. To solve this issue, a rectification recovery method has been developed based on reconstruction of the Fourier series expansion in conjunction with signal-squaring approach. This signal recovery method was experimentally examined and proven to be successful for both conventional and microfabricated hot-wire/film anemometers. The method was further applied to …

Baffle Box Effectiveness Monitoring Report, Stormwater Academy

BMP Trains Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

2010 Civil And Environmental Engineering Department News, Department Of Civil And Environmental Engineering, Michigan Technological University

Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering Newsletters

Table of Contents

• New Faculty
• Strategic Hiring Initiative
• Faculty awards
• Student Awards
• Student Competitions
• Academy of Civil and Environmental Engineers
• CEE Donor Recognition
• Department Information

Use Of Hydroclimatic Forecasts For Improved Water Management In Central Texas , Wenge Wei

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Accurate seasonal to interannual streamflow forecasts based on climate information are critical for optimal management and operation of water resources systems. Considering most water supply systems are multipurpose, operating these systems to meet increasing demand under the growing stresses of climate variability and climate change, population and economic growth, and environmental concerns could be very challenging. This study was to investigate improvement in water resources systems management through the use of seasonal climate forecasts. Hydrological persistence (streamflow and precipitation) and large-scale recurrent oceanic-atmospheric patterns such as the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), the …

Human And Embodied Energy Analysis Applied To Water Source Protection And Household Water Treatment Interventions Used In Mali, West Africa , R. Brendan Held

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

As water quality interventions are scaled up to meet the Millennium Development Goal of halving the proportion of the population without access to safe drinking water by 2015 there has been much discussion on the merits of household- and source-level interventions. This study furthers the discussion by examining specific interventions through the use of embodied human and material energy. Embodied energy quantifies the total energy required to produce and use an intervention, including all upstream energy transactions. This model uses material quantities and prices to calculate embodied energy using national economic input/output-based models from China, the United States and Mali. …

Direct Detection Of Localized Modulation Of On Concentration On An Electrode-Electrolyte Interface, Ravi Saraf, Gaurav Singh

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

The present invention directly measures localized electrochemical processes on a planar electrode using differential interferometry. The ionic charge accumulation at the electrode-electrolyte interface may be directly measured by using differential interferometry as a function of magnitude and frequency (for example, 2-50 kHz) of an external potential applied on an electrode. Methods in accordance with the present invention probe the ion dynamics confined to the electrical double layer. An electric field is applied using a pure AC potential and a superposition of AC and DC-ramp potential to measure ion concentration and detect redox processes.

Link Foundation 2008‐2010 Energy Fellowship Report, Vanessa Schweizer

Link Foundation Energy Fellowship Reports

I completed my PhD in Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University in May of 2010. My dissertation, entitled Developing Useful Long-­term Energy Projections in the Face of Climate Change, seeks to identify methods that may calibrate expert judgments for anticipating long--‐term outcomes for energy demand and related greenhouse gas emissions that may not be obvious. The motivation for this research is to move beyond the false dichotomy that currently exists in traditional scenario analysis regarding questions of likelihood. Scenario exercises that aim to explore multiple visions of the future insist that judgments about the likelihood of each alternative …

High Yield And Conversion Of Biodiesel From A Nonedible Feedstock (Pongamia Pinnata), Yogesh C. Sharma, Bhaskar Singh, John Korstad

College of Science and Engineering Faculty Research and Scholarship

An efficient approach has been adopted for the synthesis of biodiesel developed from karanja, a nonedible oil feedstock. A two-step reaction was followed for synthesis of biodiesel. Karanja oil possessing a high free fatty acid content was esterified with sulfuric acid, and the product obtained was further converted to fatty acid alkyl esters (biodiesel) by transesterification reactions. A moderate molar ratio of 6:1 (methanol/oil) was efficient for acid esterification with 1.5% v/v H₂SO₄ and 1 h of reaction time at 60 ± 0.5 °C, which resulted in reduction of FFA from 19.88 to 1.86 mg of KOH/g. …

The Challenges Of Wastewater Irrigation In Developing Countries, M. Qadir, D. Wichelns, L. Raschid-Sally, Peter G. Mccornick, P. Drechsel, A. Bahri, P. S. Minhas

Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute: Faculty Publications

The volume of wastewater generated by domestic, industrial, and commercial sources has increased with population, urbanization, improved living conditions, and economic development. The productive use of wastewater has also increased, as millions of small-scale farmers in urban and peri-urban areas of developing countries depend on wastewater or wastewater-polluted water sources to irrigate high-value edible crops for urban markets, often as they have no alternative sources of irrigation water. Undesirable constituents in wastewater can harm human health and the environment. Hence, wastewater irrigation is an issue of concern to public agencies responsible for maintaining public health and environmental quality. For diverse …

Biological Treatment Of Milk And Soybean Wastewater With Bioproducts, Tianzhu Bi

ETD Archive

Dairy industries discharge larger amounts of wastewater as compared to other food industries. Wastewater contains high amount of total organic carbon materials and nutrients, such as fat, protein, and lactose. Biological treatment is widely used to treat this kind of wastewater due to the fluctuation of amount and content of dairy wastewater. This study investigated removal of total organic carbon (TOC) from two types of dairy wastewater-milk and soy milk wastewater. The bioproducts used in experiments were baker's yeast, beer's yeast, live liquid microorganism (LLMO), Enforcer Overnite Toilet Care Liquid, and Enforcer Overnite Toilet Care Granular. The parameters included in …

A Risk-Based Approach For Examining Vertical Separation Distances In On-Site Wastewater Treatment Sytems, Anthony M. Janicek

ETD Archive

Regulations regarding the use of on-site wastewater treatment systems in many states lack a sufficient scientific basis, which in many cases restricts the use of on-site systems, drives up cost, and restricts innovation of new treatment technologies. Of particular regulatory concern is the minimum vertical separation distance (VSD) located in the area between the trench bottom of the subsurface soil absorption system and any restricting or limiting layer. The minimum VSD needed for proper effluent treatment is based on many complex and interrelated factors regarding physical, chemical, and biological soil conditions at a particular site. Research has shown that depending …

Toward Engineering Synthetic Microbial Metabolism, George Howard Mcarthur Iv, Stephen S. Fong

Chemical and Life Science Engineering Publications

The generation of well-characterized parts and the formulation of biological design principles in synthetic biology are laying the foundation for more complex and advanced microbial metabolic engineering. Improvements in de novo DNA synthesis and codon-optimization alone are already contributing to the manufacturing of pathway enzymes with improved or novel function. Further development of analytical and computer-aided design tools should accelerate the forward engineering of precisely regulated synthetic pathways by providing a standard framework for the predictable design of biological systems from well-characterized parts. In this review we discuss the current state of synthetic biology within a four-stage framework (design, modeling, …

Reflections Of College Students Promoting Engineering Through Biomechanical Outreach Activities Indicate Dual Benefits, Kimberly Edginton Bigelow

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Recent work by the National Academy of Engineering revealed that the public has a poor understanding of what engineers actually do on a day-to-day basis. This issue is compounded for non-traditional fields in engineering, such as biomechanical engineering. This is particularly problematic as such fields could draw interest from students not interested in traditional engineering careers, resulting in increased diversity.

To address this, mechanical engineering students taking an elective course, Biomechanical Engineering, were given an outreach assignment to teach at least one individual under the age of 18 about the field of biomechanical engineering through a hands-on activity. Students worked …

Decision Analysis Tool For Appropriate Water Treatment Technologies In Improverished Villages, Conner David Johnston

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

No abstract provided.

Probing Electron Transfer Mechanisms In Shewanella Oneidensis Mr-1 Using A Nanoelectrode Platform And Single-Cell Imaging, Ziaocheng Jiang, Jinsong Hu, Lisa A. Fitzgerald, Justin C. Biffinger, Ping Xie, Bradley R. Ringeisen, Charles M. Lieber

United States Navy: Publications

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) represent a promising approach for sustainable energy production as they generate electricity directly from metabolism of organic substrates without the need for catalysts. However, the mechanisms of electron transfer between microbes and electrodes, which could ultimately limit power extraction, remain controversial. Here we demonstrate optically transparent nanoelectrodes as a platform to investigate extracellular electron transfer in Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, where an array of nanoholes precludes or single window allows for direct microbeelectrode contacts. Following addition of cells, short-circuit current measurements showed similar amplitude and temporal response for both electrode configurations, while in situ optical imaging demonstrates …

Me-Em 2010 Annual Report, Department Of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics, Michigan Technological University

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Annual Reports

Table of Contents

• First Year to First Career
• Faculty & Staff
• Alumni
• Resources
• Graduates
• Publications

Algae And Biodiesel: Patenting Energized As Green Goes Commercial, Matthew R. Priess, Stanley P. Kowalski

Law Faculty Scholarship

In the twenty-first century, predominant dependence on fossil fuels as energy resources will not be sustainable. Developing and commercializing green energy innovations will be an essential component of the transition to a more diversified energy economy. Algal biodiesel is one of the most promising green fuels because of its potential as a renewable and sustainable fuel source without displacing food crops. Algal biodiesel research and development are necessary early steps towards a transition to a green energy economy. The strategic use of strong patent portfolios will drive this by attracting investment, incentivizing innovation and accelerating commercialization. Whereas algal biodiesel research …