Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of Dietary Lipid, L-Carnitine And L-Lysine Supplementation On The Growth Performance And Body Composition Of Epinephelus Lanceolatus Larvae, Jen-Hong Chu, Yu-Cong Hong, Angela Chien, Shyn-Shin Sheen

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The effects of different combinations of dietary lipid, L-carnitine and L-lysine on the growth performance and fatty acid profiles of larval grouper Epinephalus lanceolatus were evaluated. Eight treatment diets were formulated based on a 2x2x2 factorial design, namely 5 and 14% dietary oil mixture (3:1 fish oil/soybean oil), 0 and 0.5% L-carnitine and 0 and 2.83% L-lysine. Each diet was randomly assigned to triplicate groups of ten 0.08g E. lanceolatus larvae for 42 days. The grouper larvae fed with diets containing 14% lipid had significantly higher weight gain percentages than those fed with diets containing 5% lipid. The weight gain …

Antimicrobial Activity Of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Compared To Silver Nanoparticles Administered Towards Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Biofilms, Kevin Núño

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs), silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), and chitosan nanoparticles have strong antibacterial activity as a broad-spectrum antibiotic against multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria. MDR bacteria have a mechanism that increases antibiotic resistance through biofilm formations. MDR methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus BAA-1720 was chosen for an in vitro assessment to calculate the biofilm reduction rate and the median effective dose (ED50) by performing biofilm quantification. Dynamic light scattering was chosen to determine the physiochemical characteristics of ZnO NPs, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), and chitosan NPs. Transmission electron microscopy was conducted to verify each treatment’s physiochemical characteristics. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of broad-spectrum and …

Carbon Diversion, Partial Nitritation/Anammox Enrichment, And Ammonium Capture As Initial Stages For Mainstream Ion Exchange-Deammonification Process, Sheyla Chero-Osorio

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Eutrophication is a concerning environmental problem worldwide that results in algae blooms, oxygen depletion, damages to aquatic life and public health, water quality issues, and loss of aesthetics in water reservoirs. Nutrient (e.g., nitrogen and phosphorus) discharges from wastewater, agricultural, urban, and residential runoff promote eutrophication in receiving water bodies. In terms of nitrogen removal, conventional biological nitrogen removal (BNR) is a common technique used in many wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). However, BNR requires aeration for nitrification and organic carbon input for denitrification. In WWTP, the aeration represents a considerable investment in terms of energy costs. Recent technologies involve applying …

Queueing Theory Model Of Pentose Phosphate Pathway, Sylwester M. Kloska, Krzysztof Pałczyński, Tomasz Marciniak, Tomasz Talaśka, Marissa Miller, Beata J. Wysocki, Paul H. Davis, Tadeusz A. Wysocki

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

Due to its role in maintaining the proper functioning of the cell, the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) is one of the most important metabolic pathways. It is responsible for regulating the concentration of simple sugars and provides precursors for the synthesis of amino acids and nucleotides. In addition, it plays a critical role in maintaining an adequate level of NADPH, which is necessary for the cell to fight oxidative stress. These reasons prompted the authors to develop a computational model, based on queueing theory, capable of simulating changes in PPP metabolites’ concentrations. The model has been validated with empirical data …

Techno-Economic And Sustainability Analysis Of Renewable Natural Gas (Rng) Production, Eesha Bhattacharjee

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Natural Gas (NG) is one of the major sources of energy currently used in the United States. Its major applications include generating electricity, domestic, and industrial heating purposes and as a transportation fuel. The largest component of NG is methane, and it contains trace amounts of hydrocarbons, some CO2 and water vapor.

Biogas (produced by anaerobic digestion (AD) of biomass) upgraded to have high purity methane (often termed as biomethane or renewable natural gas) can be used as an alternative to NG. The upgrading techniques may include CO2 separation from the biogas stream or via to a methanation facility where …

Development Of Membrane Assisted Recovery Of Solids (Mars) Technology For Nutrient Management In Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems, Itzé Alejandra Kenney

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Increasing global populations will result in a rise of eutrophic wastewater and an increased need in food supply. Both problems share a commonality: nutrients. Not all communities are equipped to handle one or both of those challenges, considering that typical solutions require large and energy intensive technologies. Wastewater treatment in most major cities is done through centralized treatment plants, which is not feasible for places with limited resources. Decentralized wastewater treatment systems (DWTS) have been developed as an alternative solution for those communities, but they still struggle to sustainably treat nutrients such as ammonium (NH4) and phosphate (PO4^(3-)). Zeolite has …

Deep Learning Approach For Chemistry And Processing History Prediction From Materials Microstructure, Amir Abbas Kazemzadeh Farizhandi, Omar Betancourt, Mahmood Mamivand

Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Finding the chemical composition and processing history from a microstructure morphology for heterogeneous materials is desired in many applications. While the simulation methods based on physical concepts such as the phase-field method can predict the spatio-temporal evolution of the materials’ microstructure, they are not efficient techniques for predicting processing and chemistry if a specific morphology is desired. In this study, we propose a framework based on a deep learning approach that enables us to predict the chemistry and processing history just by reading the morphological distribution of one element. As a case study, we used a dataset from spinodal decomposition …

Benthic Biolayer Structure Controls Whole-Stream Reactive Transport, Kevin R. Roche, Marco Dentz

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Hyporheic zone reaction rates are highest just below the sediment-water interface, in a shallow region called the benthic biolayer. Vertical variability of hyporheic reaction rates leads to unexpected reaction kinetics for stream-borne solutes, compared to classical model predictions. We show that deeper, low-reactivity locations within the hyporheic zone retain solutes for extended periods, which delays reactions and causes solutes to persist at higher concentrations in the stream reach than would be predicted by classical approaches. These behaviors are captured by an upscaled model that reveals the fundamental physical and chemical processes in the hyporheic zone. We show how time scales …

Public Education For Work Zone Safety, Ricardo Chahine, Prince Adu Gyamfi, Nandhesh Subash Babu, Wonsang Cho, Krista Kelley, Stacey Connaughton, Nadia Gkritza

Purdue Road School

This project aims to help improve work zone driver safety in Indiana through driver education and public awareness campaigns. The project focused on two specific objectives: (1) to design a public awareness campaign to increase drivers’ knowledge and influence positive attitudes about work zone driver safety practices; and (2) to prepare educational materials to be incorporated into driver’s education or training curriculum prior to taking driving test and getting a driver’s license issued. The campaign was informed by formative research, conducted using a survey to assess public knowledge and attitudes. Based on these results, campaign messages were designed. The effectiveness …

تقدير نظام التدفق البيئي لتحديد الحد الأدنى من التدفق للحد من التلوث: وادي زومر - فلسطين كدراسة حالة, Saed Khayat

Palestine Technical University Research Journal

Possible factors that play a role in restoring a flow regime that supports a healthy environment were identified for Wadi Zomar, Palestine. The hydrograph shows that threshold discharges for bed drying are less than 0.14 m3/s, bar formation is less than 0.4 ms/s and floodplain inundation events are over 3 m3/s. The HEC-RAS model suggests a continuous discharge throughout the year that maintains the base flow in the range of 0.5 m3/s. The model suggests that the restoration process is controlled by two main factors: role of sufficient flow and flood inundation frequency.

المكافحة الحيوية لمرض عين لطاووس المتسبب عن فطر Spilocaea Oleagina على الزيتون باستخدام البكتيريا, Mazen Salman

Palestine Technical University Research Journal

The olive leaf spot disease caused by the fungus Spilocaea oleagina(Cast.) Hughes (syn. Cycloconium oleagina) is one of the most destructive diseases on olive trees causing losses that may reach 20% of the yield. The disease is controlled by the application of chemical fungicides which is not always feasible in providing proper protection against the pathogen. In this work we report the efficacy of Pseudomonas fluorescencisolate ORS3 and Bascillus atrophaeusisolate BATin controlling the disease under field conditions. An Olive field in, Tulkarm governorate, Palestine was selected. The olive trees were 5-10 years old and were highly infected with the olive …

تحضير وتوصيف وتقييم النشاط البيولوجي للمركب "(E)- N’-(2,5-Dimethoxybenzalidene) Naphthalene-2-Sulfonohydrazide", Ismail Warad

Palestine Technical University Research Journal

Condensation reaction of naphthalene -2-Sulfonylhydrazide, as starting material with 2,5-dimethoxy benzaldehydewas used to produce (E)-N’-(2,5-dimethoxybenzalidene) naphthalene-2-sulfonohydrazide. The Schiff base product was isolated, purified and then spectrally characterized via UV-Vis, GC/MS, FT-IR, 1H and 13C NMR analysis, where strong evidences confirmed the formation of the desired product. Antimicrobial activity of Schiff base product was evaluated in vitro against several types of bacteria such as: Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and MRSA by Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) test using tetracycline (TE) as a standard antibiotic. The tests showed a promising bacteriostatic effect of this compound against gram negative bacteria …

إدارة الطوارئ في محطات معالجة مياه الصرف الصحي حالة دراسة: محطة الشمال في بيت لاهيا, Alaa Musalam

Palestine Technical University Research Journal

The aim of this study is to identify the potential risks to the North Station (Beit Lahiya Station and the North Emergency Station), and to prepare emergency response procedures in the sewage treatment plant in Northern Gaza. The researchers followed the descriptive and analytical approach of the sources and reports issued by the institutions related to the sewage stations in the Gaza Strip. The study also included interviews with engineers at the station to analyze and assess the risks to the North station, to identify indicators to prevent flooding of Umm al-Nasr village, and to identify preventive measures to avoid …

Bioclimate Of Jericho In Palestine, Jehad Ighbareyeh

Palestine Technical University Research Journal

Jericho is an ancient Canaanite Palestinian city and one of the oldest cities in history, which dates back to more than 10.000 BC (Stone Age). It is located near to the Jordan River, north of the Dead Sea, and north of Jerusalem. Moreover, it considered the lowest area in the earth and has a unique climatic zone. during the study period (1975-1995), was utilized the Salvador Rivas Martinez scale to classify the bioclimate of the earth to analysis the climate and bioclimate data, which was obtained from one station from Palestinian Meteorology Department (Jericho station). The results revealed that the …

Nature’S Optics And Our Understanding Of Light, Michael Berry

Palestine Technical University Research Journal

Optical phenomena visible to everyone abundantly illustrate important ideas in science and mathematics. The phenomena considered include rainbows, sparkling reflections on water, green flashes, earthlight on the moon, glories, daylight, crystals, and the squint moon. The concepts include refraction, wave interference, numerical experiments, asymptotics, Regge poles, polarisation singularities, conical intersections, and visual illusions.

Mathematical Modeling Of The Solvent Extraction Of Palm Kernel Oil From Palm Kernel, Omeiza James Momoh James Momoh, David O. Obada

Palestine Technical University Research Journal

The model for the solvent extraction of palm kernel oil from palm kernel was generated for the process at varying particle sizes of palm kernel, temperature of extraction, duration of extraction and mass of palm kernel respectively using Least Square Linear Equation. Petroleum ether was used as solvent to carry out the extraction in a soxhlet apparatus. The percentage oil yield was determined for every extraction carried out. The experimental results obtained showed that percentage oil yield decreases with increase in particle size and mass, but increases with increase in the temperature and duration of extraction. The characterization of the …

Sensing Tomato’S Pathogen Using Visible/Near Infrared (Vis/Nir) Spectroscopy And Multivariate Data Analysis (Mvda), Nawaf Abukhalaf

Palestine Technical University Research Journal

Quality of agricultural products is a very important issue for consumers as well as for farmers in relation to price, health and flavour. One of the factors that determine the quality is the absence of pathogens that can cause diseases for products and also for consumers. An advanced method to sense pathogens and their antagonists is the use of Visible/Near Infrared (VIS/NIR) spectroscopy. In this paper, the VIS/NIR spectroscopy, with the help of two techniques of multivariate data analysis (MVDA); namely principal component analysis (PCA) and support vector machine (SVM)-classification; showed very reliable results for sensing two artificially inoculated fungi …

Rapd For Assessment Of Thymes Genetic Diversity In Palestine, Raed Alkowni

Palestine Technical University Research Journal

Several thymes species were grown in Palestine and have socio-economical values. Traditionally, morphological features are used for their taxonomy and discrimination. However, these methods fail to provide an accurate for discrimination and authentication, suggesting the use of other method inevitable. In this study, RAPD method was used for genotypes identification and characterization of five most socio-economical Palestinian thymes: Thymus syriacus, Thymus fruticosus, Thymus incanus, Thymus majorana, and Thymus capitatus. Eight out of ten decamer primers were tested for their ability to generate polymorphism from selected thyme species using RAPD-PCR, and the obtained data were analyzed. …

Role Of Overwintering Forms Of Erysiphe Necator In Epidemiology Of Grapevine Powdery Mildew In Palestinian Vineyards, Ruba Abuamsha, Mazen Salman

Palestine Technical University Research Journal

The overwintering modes of E. necator were studied on Palestinian vineyards, through observations on the differentiation and maturation of cleistothecia and on the occurrence of flag-shoots (deriving from overwintering mycelium) in vineyards. Field surveys were carried out in 17 vineyards for the presence of Flag shoots and cleistothecia, both forms were not observed. Genetic structure and composition of E. necator populations were investigated by application of already available SCAR (Sequence Characterized Amplified Region) primers specific for the "flag-shoot" and "ascospore" biotypes. These primers were used to evaluate the dynamics of the spatial and temporal distribution of the two biotypes, into …

Visible/Near Infrared (Vis/Nir) Spectroscopy And Multivariate Data Analysis (Mvda) For Identification And Quantification Of Olive Leaf Spot (Ols) Disease, Nawaf Abukhalaf, Mazen Salman

Palestine Technical University Research Journal

Early detection of plant disease requires usually elaborating methods techniques and especially when symptoms are not visible. Olive Leaf Spot (OLS) infecting upper surface of olive leaves has a long latent infection period. In this work, VIS/NIR spectroscopy was used to determine the latent infection and severity of the pathogens. Two different classification methods were used, Partial Least Squared-Discrimination Analysis (PLS-DA) (linear method) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) (non-linear). SVM-classification was able to classify severity levels 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 with classification rates of 94, 90, 73, 79, 83 and 100%, respectively The overall classification rate was …

Modeling Cyanobacteria Vertical Migration, Corina Christina Mae Overman, Scott A. Wells

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Cyanobacteria often cause harmful algal blooms and release toxic substances that can harm humans and animals. Accurately modeling these phytoplankton is a step towards predicting, preventing, and controlling such blooms. Certain cyanobacteria species are known to migrate vertically in the water column on a daily cycle. Capturing this behavior is one aspect of modeling their dynamics. Previous studies on modeling cyanobacterial vertical migration are reviewed and summarized. Several models of cyanobacteria vertical movement are tested using data from field studies. These models are applied using both continuum and particle-tracking frameworks. Models range in complexity from simple functions of time to …

Understanding Effects Of Permafrost Degradation And Coastal Erosion On Civil Infrastructure In Arctic Coastal Villages: A Community Survey And Knowledge Co-Production, Min Liew, Ming Xiao, Louise Farquharson, Dmitry Nicolsky, Anne Jensen, Vladimir Romanovsky, Jana Peirce, Lilian Alessa, Christopher Mccomb, Xiong Zhang, Benjamin Jones

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents the results of a community survey that was designed to better under-stand the effects of permafrost degradation and coastal erosion on civil infrastructure. Observations were collected from residents in four Arctic coastal communities: Point Lay, Wainwright, Utqiaġvik, and Kaktovik. All four communities are underlain by continuous ice-rich permafrost with varying degrees of degradation and coastal erosion. The types, locations, and periods of observed permafrost thaw and coastal erosion were elicited. Survey participants also reported the types of civil infrastructure being affected by permafrost degradation and coastal erosion and any damage to residential buildings. Most survey participants reported …

An Evaluation Of Tractors Tested At The Nebraska Tractor Test Lab And The Effect Of Epa Emission Standards Based Upon Average Pto Horsepower And Fuel Efficiency, Dalton Erickson

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Newly released tractor models are tested to ensure they meet advertising claims. This thesis utilizes tractor test data to analyze performance trends in tractors based upon their power take off (PTO) horsepower and fuel efficiency and it evaluates how the average fuel efficiency of tractors was affected by the introduction of emission standards by the United States Environmental Protection Agencies. In conclusion, tractors have shown continuous improvement and growth in both fuel efficiency and PTO horsepower, and emission standards have had a small, positive effect on tractors’ average fuel efficiency.

Evaluation Of Hydrodynamic Effects Of Waterway Restoration On An Estuarine Ecosystem, Megan Kramer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Estuaries are hydrodynamically complex for they are influenced by tidal forces, freshwater flows, salinity variations, and often intricate coastal land morphology. Furthermore, many estuaries are subject to constant anthropogenic stresses due to dense coastal populations, which are expected to be exacerbated by changing climate trends. The 1,800 home residential Manchester Waterway (MW) community located in Charlotte Harbor (along the Gulf of Mexico in Southwest Florida), is interested in improving boat access by restoring a previous connection between the local waterway and the harbor, separated by a barrier peninsula. The proposed connections aim to reduce boat traffic and travel time through …

Computational Study Of The Reactions Of Heteroatomic Compounds On Ceo2, Suman Bhasker Ranganath

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The mechanisms of ambient-temperature reactions of heteroatomic compounds catalyzed by ceria (CeO₂), an archetypical reducible oxide, for enzyme mimetics, environmental protection, and chemical synthesis are investigated in this dissertation using theoretical methods. CeO₂ is modeled with thermodynamically stable low-index surfaces exposed by commonly studied ceria thin films and nano particles. To understand phosphatase-like dephosphorylation activity, stable adsorption states and surface reactions of model phosphates are examined. Binding of the central P-atom to surface lattice oxygen (O_latt) supplemented by phosphoryl O-Ce interaction is the only stable adsorption state for the un-dissociated molecule. Deprotonation of phosphate monoesters, …

Development Of Controller Area Network Bus Programming For Quarter-Scale Tractor Pulling Sled, Brittani Wacker

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Usage of Controller Area Network (CAN) technology has allowed for advancements in many industries, including agriculture. Most importantly, its application is useful for refining data acquisition methods. With support from the Quarter-scale Tractor Design Team at UNL, this project united a CAN bus with the team’s current tractor pulling sled. The objectives were to install new instrumentation needed for the CAN bus and to program the updated system utilizing CAN data. The program needed to give the pulling sled functionality and the ability to read and log important pulling data. These goals were all accomplished by implementing new sensors, coding …

Response Of Green Lake, Wisconsin, To Changes In Phosphorus Loading, With Special Emphasis On Near-Surface Total Phosphorus Concentrations And Metalimnetic Dissolved Oxygen Minima, Dale M. Robertson, Benjamin J. Siebers, Robert Ladwig, David P. Hamilton, Paul C. Reneau, Cory P. Mcdonald, Stephanie Prellwitz, Richard C. Lathrop

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Green Lake is the deepest natural inland lake in Wisconsin, with a maximum depth of about 72 meters. In the early 1900s, the lake was believed to have very good water quality (low nutrient concentrations and good water clarity) with low dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations occurring in only the deepest part of the lake. Because of increased phos¬phorus (P) inputs from anthropogenic activities in its water¬shed, total phosphorus (TP) concentrations in the lake have increased; these changes have led to increased algal produc¬tion and low DO concentrations not only in the deepest areas but also in the middle of the …

Design Of A Week-Long Introduction To Engineering Summer Camp To Increase Interest And Eagerness Of Stem In Young Children, Beth Cannon

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

For this creative project, a one-week camp curriculum was designed for elementary students (Grades 3-5) to introduce engineering. This work includes a rationale and camp curriculum. The rationale describes the research-based design of the curriculum. It outlines engineering basics and why and how to teach engineering to young students. The curriculum intends to introduce engineering to young children and excite the possibility of a future career. The following engineering disciplines are presented throughout the week of camp: mechanical, environmental, civil, electrical, and chemical. The first day of camp focuses on the basics of engineering. Following that, each day of camp …

Expanding Cherenkov Imaging Applications In Radiotherapy: Clinic-Wide In Vivo Treatment Monitoring And Mr-Linac Quality Assurance, Daniel A. Alexander

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Radiation therapy treatments have become increasingly complex, striving to improve patient outcomes by delivering sufficient dose for tumor control while sparing more normal tissue. This trend has necessitated the development of additional workflows, such as multilayered incident mitigation strategies and advanced techniques for adapting treatments to account for time-sensitive patient factors. Novel technologies such as optical 3D surface monitoring and magnetic resonance-guided linear accelerators have been developed to assist clinicians in implementing these workflows. We hypothesize that optical imaging methods developed for radiotherapy dose monitoring and measurement can be used to positively impact modern radiation therapy challenges. Cherenkov imaging allows …

Design And Development Of Software With A Graphical User Interface To Display And Convert Multiple Microscopic Histology Images, Sayed Ahmadreza Razian, Majid Jadidi, Alexey Kamenskiy

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Histological images are widely used to assess the microscopic anatomy of biological tissues. Recent advancements in image analysis allow the identification of structural features on histological sections that can help advance medical device development, brain and cancer research, drug discovery, vascular mechanobiology, and many other fields. Histological slide scanners create images in SVS and TIFF formats that were designed to archive image blocks and high-resolution textual information. Because these formats were primarily intended for storage, they are often not compatible with conventional image analysis software and require conversion before they can be used in research. We have developed a user-friendly …