Engineering Commons^™

Measurement And Analyses Of Growth And Stress Parameters Of Viburnum Odoratissimum (Ker-Gawl) Grown In A Multi-Pot Box System, Suat Irmak, Dorota Z. Haman, Ayse Kilic, James W. Jones, Kenneth L. Campbell, Thomas L. Crisman

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Two colors (white and black) of a recently introduced irrigation-plant production system [multi-pot box system (MPBS)] for container-grown nurseries were researched and results were compared with those obtained from the sprinkler-irrigated conventional (control) system (CS). Experiments were carried out in summer and fall of 2001 in Gainesville, Fla. Plant growth [growth index (GI), growth rate (GR), and dry matter] and stress parameters[stomatal resistance (r_s), crop water stress index (CWSI), plant water potential (PWP), and substrate temperature (ST)] were measured and analyzed for Viburnum odoratissimum (Ker-gawl). In both seasons, plants grown in the white MPBS has significantly higher GI …

Incorporation Of Tetracycline Hydrochloride Into Electrospun Fibrinogen: A Study Of Mechanical Properties And Time Release, Charles Dudley Anderson Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Electrospinning has the capacity to create fibers of natural or synthetic polymers with dimensions that are similar to analogous fibers in native tissue. Mats consisting of fibers of these sub-micron dimensions have shown promise in provoking little immune response and in offering a habitable environment for cell proliferation. Fibrinogen is a natural protein capable of being electrospun and offers the benefit of existing as part of the natural coagulation cascade. Mats of fibrinogen could be utilized as possible hemostatic dressings or as an early scaffold for cell migration for either wound repair or tissue engineering. The addition of antibiotic into …

Novel Apparatus To Control Electrospinning Fiber Orientation For The Production Of Tissue Engineering Scaffolds, Eugene David Boland

Theses and Dissertations

The conception of electrospinning can trace its roots back more than 400 years, when it was observed that rubbed amber can deform a droplet of water on a smooth surface, and is based upon simple concepts of charge separation and surface tension. Since that time, considerable effort has been directed at both the cause and utility of this phenomenon. The specific aim of this dissertation project was to develop an automated electrostatic processing apparatus that was capable of controlling the three-dimensional architecture of an electrospun scaffold to further improve its utility in tissue engineering. The efficacy of using this technique …

Development Of A Numerical Model To Simulate Pressure Distributions In Ultrasound Angioplasty, Graham Gavin, Garrett Mcguinness, Finbar Dolan, M.S. Hashmi

Conference Papers

Ultrasound Angioplasty has been shown to be effective in the removal and re-canalising of blockages in arteries (Siegel RJ, 1993). The ultrasound is delivered via a wire waveguide to the lesion location. The wire, generally, has a ball-tip at the distal end to increase transmission of the ultrasound to the surrounding fluid by causing the ball-tip to oscillate between 20– 45kHz and with displacements of up to 100mm peak-to-peak (Atar, 1999 and Yock, 1997). Pressure waves, micro streaming, cavitation and direct contact with the oscillating ball-tip affect the blockage. Most work to date has concentrated on a spherical ball-tip geometry …

Noise Simulations For An Inverse-Geometry Volumetric Ct System, Taly Gilat Schmidt, Rebecca Fahrig, Norbert J. Pelc

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

This paper examines the noise performance of an inverse-geometry volumetric CT (IGCT) scanner through simulations. The IGCT system uses a large area scanned source and a smaller array of detectors to rapidly acquire volumetric data with negligible cone-beam artifacts. The first investigation compares the photon efficiency of the IGCT geometry to a 2D parallel ray system. The second investigation models the photon output of the IGCT source and calculates the expected noise. For the photon efficiency investigation. the same total number of photons was modeled in an IGCT acquisition and a comparable multi-slice 2D parallel ray acquisition. For both cases …

Influence Of Isoflurane On Left Atrial Function In Dogs With Pacing-Induced Cardiomyopathy: Evaluation With Pressure-Volume Relationships, Franz Kehl, John F. Ladisa, Douglas Anthony Hettrick, Judy R. Kersten, David C. Warltier, Paul S. Pagel

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Objective

The actions of volatile anesthetics on left ventricular (LV) function in normal and failing hearts have been previously evaluated, but the effects of these agents on left atrial (LA) function in the presence of LV dysfunction are unknown. The hypothesis was tested that isoflurane alters LA mechanics evaluated with pressure-volume relations.

Design

Prospective.

Setting

Laboratory.

Participants

Barbiturate-anesthetized dogs (n = 8) were instrumented for measurement of aortic, LA, and LV pressures (micromanometers), and LA volume (epicardial orthogonal sonomicrometers) after 3 weeks of rapid ventricular pacing (220 beats/min).

Interventions

LA myocardial contractility (E_es) was assessed with end-systolic pressure-volume …

The Stromal Cell-Derived Factor-1alpha/Cxcr4 Ligand-Receptor Axis Is Critical For Progenitor Survival And Migration In The Pancreas., Ayse G. Kayali, Kurt Van Gunst, Iain L. Campbell, Aleksandr Stotland, Marcie Kritzik, Guoxun Liu, Malin Flodström-Tullberg, You-Qing Zhang, Nora Sarvetnick

Journal Articles: Regenerative Medicine

The SDF-1alpha/CXCR4 ligand/chemokine receptor pair is required for appropriate patterning during ontogeny and stimulates the growth and differentiation of critical cell types. Here, we demonstrate SDF-1alpha and CXCR4 expression in fetal pancreas. We have found that SDF-1alpha and its receptor CXCR4 are expressed in islets, also CXCR4 is expressed in and around the proliferating duct epithelium of the regenerating pancreas of the interferon (IFN) gamma-nonobese diabetic mouse. We show that SDF-1alpha stimulates the phosphorylation of Akt, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and Src in pancreatic duct cells. Furthermore, migration assays indicate a stimulatory effect of SDF-1alpha on ductal cell migration. Importantly, blocking …

Tongue Movements In Feeding And Speech, Karen M. Hiiemae, Jeffrey B. Palmer

Biomedical and Chemical Engineering - All Scholarship

The position of the tongue relative to the upper and lower jaws is regulated in part by the position of the hyoid bone, which, with the anterior and posterior suprahyoid muscles, controls the angulation and length of the floor of the mouth on which the tongue body 'rides'. The instantaneous shape of the tongue is controlled by the 'extrinsic muscles ' acting in concert with the 'intrinsic ' muscles. Recent anatomical research in non-human mammals has shown that the intrinsic muscles can best be regarded as a 'laminated segmental system ' with tightly packed layers of the 'transverse', 'longitudinal', and …

Preliminary Work On The Antibacterial Effect Of Strontium In Glass Ionomer Cements, A. Guida, Mark R. Towler, J. G. Wall, R. G. Hill, S. Eramo

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The antibacterial effect of strontium in glass ionomer cements (GIC) was discussed. The glass transition temperatures were found to decrease with the increasing fluorine content consistent with the fluorine replacing bridging oxygens. However no significant correlation was found between the fluoride release and the antibacterial activity.

Interpreting Hemoglobin And Water Concentration, Oxygen Saturation, And Scattering Measured In Vivo By Near-Infrared Breast Tomography, Subhadra Srinivasan, Brian W. Pogue, Shudong Jiang, Hamid Dehghani, Christine Kogel, Sandra Soho, Jennifer J. Gibson, Tor D. Tosteson, Steven P. Poplack, Keith D. Paulsen

Dartmouth Scholarship

Near-infrared spectroscopic tomography was used to measure the properties of 24 mammographically normal breasts to quantify whole-breast absorption and scattering spectra and to evaluate which tissue composition characteristics can be determined from these spectra. The absorption spectrum of breast tissue allows quantification of (i) total hemoglobin concentration, (ii) hemoglobin oxygen saturation, and (iii) water concentration, whereas the scattering spectrum provides information about the size and number density of cellular components and structural matrix elements. These property data were tested for correlation to demographic information, including subject age, body mass index, breast size, and radiographic …

Development Of Standard Methods To Estimate Manure Production And Nutrient Characteristics From Dairy Cattle, T. Nennich, J. H. Harrison, D. Meyer, W. P. Weiss, A. J. Heinrichs, R. L. Kincaid, W. J. Powers, Richard K. Koelsch, P. E. Wright

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

Total collection data from many universities were pooled for statistical analyses to evaluate existing data from dairy animals and determine if one or more modifications were needed for Standard Table D384.1. Many of these studies were carried out to evaluate nutritional characteristics associated with different diets. The data collected were sufficient to evaluate total manure, total and volatile solids, and N excretion values. Some experiments had sufficient number of samples analyzed to evaluate P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Cl, S, and micro-elements. Statistical analyses were conducted to determine if a single column value was appropriate and define the regression equations …

Proposed Beef Cattle Manure Excretion And Characteristics Standard For Asae, Galen E. Erickson, B. Auvermann, R. A. Eigenberg, L. W. Greene, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Richard K. Koelsch

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

A committee was formed consisting of both animal scientists and agricultural engineers to evaluate and update current ASAE standards. An intake minus retention model was developed to estimate nutrient excretion. This approach allows users (producers, engineers, etc.) to develop site specific information based on known variables such as protein or phosphorus content of diets and cattle performance. This approach illustrates the importance of nutrition on nutrient excretion in livestock operations. Our focus is for feedlot cattle and updates excretion of dry matter (DM or total solids), organic matter (OM or volatile solids), N, P, Ca, K, Na, Mg, S, Cu, …

Use Of Computer Spreadsheets And Paper-Based Workbooks To Teach Comprehensive Nutrient Management Planning, Charles A. Shapiro, R. L. Deloughery, Richard K. Koelsch, M. J. Kucera, Charles S. Wortmann

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

The objective of this program was to provide producers and ag advisors the skills needed to apply for and maintain the non-engineering components of a Nebraska permit to operate a livestock waste control facility. This includes a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP). Eighty six producers and advisors participated in an intensive three-session hands-on class with a total of nine contact hours at four sites in eastern Nebraska in the spring of 2002. The workshop included lecture and participant use of spreadsheet tools to assist with performing the necessary calculations. With an average of 68 % responses per session, 58% rated …

Neural Electronic Signal Detection Fidelity And Membrane Conductance, Robert B. Szlavik

Biomedical Engineering

Abstract of paper presented at conference.

Use Of Computer Spreadsheets And Paper-Based Workbooks To Teach Comprehensive Nutrient Management Planning, Charles A. Shapiro, R. L. Deloughery, Richard K. Koelsch, M. K. Kucera, Charles S. Wortmann

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The objective of this program was to provide producers and ag advisors the skills needed to apply for and maintain the non-engineering components of a Nebraska permit to operate a livestock waste control facility. This includes a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP). Eighty six producers and advisors participated in an intensive three-session hands-on class with a total of nine contact hours at four sites in eastern Nebraska in the spring of 2002. The workshop included lecture and participant use of spreadsheet tools to assist with performing the necessary calculations. With an average of 68 % responses per session, 58% rated …

Fact Sheet #2: Do I Need A Npdes Permit For My Livestock Or Poultry Operation, Richard K. Koelsch

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

New U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules that took effect April 14, 2003 indicate that animal feeding operations (AFOs) can be defined as concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and required to obtain a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit from the EPA or a designated state permitting authority. The likelihood of an AFO being classified as a CAFO will depend, in large part, on whether that operation is considered to be large, medium, or small.

Time Domain Dielectric Spectroscopy Analysis Of Hl-60 Cell Suspensions After Microsecond And Submicrosecond Pulsed Electric Fields, Allen Laurence Garner

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Pulsed electric fields (PEF's) above a certain voltage threshold cause electroporation for microsecond pulses and intracellular effects for submicrosecond pulses. Models describing these effects often depend on the electrical properties of the cell, which are altered by the PEF. Time domain dielectric spectroscopy was used to provide data for these models and to measure changes in the conductivity of HL-60 cell suspensions due to single 50 μs and 10 ns PEF's of the same energy. For 1.1 kV/cm, 50 μs pulses, the conductivity rose within a minute after the pulse and dropped dramatically approximately forty minutes after the pulse. For …

Phosphorus Management, Bahman Eghball, J.F. Shanahan, Gary E. Varvel, John E. Gilley

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Soils with high levels of P can contribute to excess P in runoff and subsequently pollute the surface water. Excess P in the soil can be removed from the system by harvesting crops. The objectives of this study were to evaluate corn (Zea mays L.) P removal effects on soil P reduction, and to evaluate various corn hybrids and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] varieties for differences in grain P concentration and P removal. Soil with varying P levels as a result of annual or biennial beef cattle (Bos Taurus) feedlot manure or compost application was …

Brownian Dynamics Simulation Studies Of Ion Throughput During Cellular Electroporation, Juan A. Gonzalez-Cuevas

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of the present research work is to analyze the flow of ions through pores formed in the plasma membrane of biological cells during electroporation. In this regard, simulations have been conducted to track the movement of ions in 3-D space based on a Brownian dynamics model, which is mostly deterministic but has some stochastic properties to account for ionic scattering. From the Brownian dynamics simulations, it has been possible to estimate the pore's conductance as well as transport parameters such as the diffusion coefficient and mobility within the pore region, of which there is no experimental data currently …

A Concept For Early Cancer Detection And Therapy, Ronald W. Waynant, Ilko K. Ilev, Kunal Mitra

Biomedical Engineering and Sciences Faculty Publications

Early detection and treatment of breast cancer is least costly in terms of dollars, morbidity and mortality. With new early detection x-ray technology, tumors can be found, diagnosed and treated at a much smaller size than is currently possible. This paper proposes the development of a high resolution, high quality imaging system. It is a laser-driven x-ray system with time-gated detection that removes scattering noise in the image and produces resolution on the order of 10 μm. This higher resolution and higher image quality will enable the detection of one or two millimeter tumors hopefully detecting them before metastasis. We …

Study Of Baroreceptor Sensitivity Index In Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Diane L. Donnelly

Theses

Although numerous studies evaluate baroreflex response as part of their research protocol, only one was identified as having evaluated continuous baroreceptor response as part of a 70° head-up tilt. It was done by Youde et al. [28] and was limited in that it evaluated only sequences of three beats for lag 0. The limitations of the Youde study [28] are not present in this thesis.

The data for this thesis came from a 70° head-up tilt study performed on chronic fatigue syndrome subjects by LaManca et al. [3] at the East Orange VA Medical Center. Baroreflex was not evaluated as …

The Influence Of Exercise On Oxygen Uptake In Mild Hypertension, Matthew Joseph Herban

Theses

The amount of oxygen used by muscle cells increase with exercise. The two body systems that influence the amount of oxygen delivered are the cardiovascular system and the pulmonary system. Two groups of patients were studied, those that were mildly hypertensive (but are not taking prescription medication for hypertension) and the control or normal group. The two groups exercised on a bicycle ergometer. Work rate was increased in steps (multiples of thirty watts) until anaerobic threshold (as measured by an ear oximeter) was reached. Heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide production were measured during exercise. Their data …

A Biologically Inspired Joint Model Using Engineering Methods To Enhance Understanding Of Muscle Activity, Richard Paradiso

Theses

Compliant actuators and control methods have been known to exhibit similarities in human musculoskeletal systems. In order to better understand and improve the effects of force optimization under closed- loop conditions, a physical joint model was constructed with an agonist and an antagonist muscle operating under linear control. Utilizing LabVIEW software, compliant McKibben air muscles and Merlin stretch sensors, the author was able to incorporate a Bang-Bang controller and propose the inclusion of pulse width modulation (PWM) as well as a Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PD) controller to study the reflex loops under various levels of feedback sensitivity. The feedback mechanism, similar to …

Characteristics Of Phototrophic And Non-Phototrophic Lagoons For Swine Manure, Tongtong Chen, Dennis D. Schulte, Richard K. Koelsch, Anne M. Parkhurst

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Odors are a major result of inadequately sized and mismanaged anaerobic lagoons. However, purple or pink colored lagoons, indicating the presence of phototrophic purple bacteria, are less likely to be an odor nuisance than are non–purple lagoons. Eight swine lagoons were studied to quantify critical parameters thought to allow purple lagoons to be a more reliable odor control alternative. Bacteriochlorophyll a (Bchl a), which indirectly measures the abundance of phototrophic bacteria, was greater in purple lagoons than in non–purple lagoons (P = 0.01). Oxidation–reduction potential (ORP) was less negative for purple lagoons than for non–purple lagoons in both spring …

Local Applications Of The National Livestock And Poultry Environmental Stewardship Curriculum, Diane Huntrods, Richard K. Koelsch, Frank Humenik

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

This paper introduces the LPES curriculum project, summarizing the curriculum development process, the final curriculum materials, and the outreach activities. Following an overview of the LPES Curriculum Impact Survey, the authors will present representative examples of uses and modifications made of the LPES curriculum as it is used with targeted audiences. This model for utilizing national expertise to address state and local educational needs may have benefit in other extension education programs as land grant university resources decrease. The paper concludes with a discussion of lessons learned from this national extension education curriculum development effort.

Short Pulse Laser Propagation Through Tissues, Champak Das, Ashish Trivedi, Kunal Mitra, Tuan Vo-Dinh

Biomedical Engineering and Sciences Faculty Publications

An experimental and numerical study is performed to analyze short pulse laser propagation through tissue phantoms without and with inhomogeneities/tumors imbedded in it. Short pulse laser probing techniques has distinct advantages over conventional very large pulse width or cw lasers primarily due to the additional information conveyed about the tissue interior by the temporal variation of the observed signal. Both the scattered temporal transmitted and reflected optical signals are measured experimentally using a streak camera for samples irradiated with a short pulse laser source. Parametric study involving different scattering and absorption coefficients of tissue phantoms and inhomogeneities as well as …

Labview-Controlled Stimulus Presentation On A Monitor For Smooth Pursuit Eye Movement Experiments, Florence Bautista Chua

Theses

Smooth pursuit is an example of how movements in the visual world guide involuntary oculomotor movements. A current system to study eye movements uses an oscilloscope screen. A computer screen offers many advantages: a greater visual field, the use of shapes, 32 bits of colors, and increased timing accuracy. To control stimulus display on a computer monitor, instrumentation was developed in LabVIEW. Initial studies supported a draw/redraw to erase method for stimulus presentation. An experiment compared the computer monitor to the oscilloscope. Indeed, the monitor display was an improvement over the oscilloscope for vision research.

Data Recording And Analysis Of American Sign Language, Robert Michael Demarco

Theses

American Sign Language (ASL) is a form of communication that is used by the Deaf. It consists of hand shapes and gestures to express words and phrases. Translators on the market today consist of interpreting a simple form of ASL known as finger spelling. In order to develop a more effective translator, instrumentation was developed utilizing a Flock of Birds and Cyberglove system to record in hand shapes and movements in a LabVIEW environment. Experimentation done included reading in data and subjectively analyzing the data recorded for accuracy. Initial results have show that the instrumentation worked and data was recorded …

Implementation Of Cyclic Exercise Protocol On Two Study Groups - Aids And Insomnia, Ujwala G. Kalambur

Theses

Traditional exercise regimens are based on maintaining a prolonged increase in heart rate, followed by a single recovery period. The Cyclic Exercise Protocol is a novel protocol that is designed to create a series of parabolic waves of exercise and recovery. This study involves the implementation of this exercise protocol on two study groups namely AIDS and Insomnia. This exercise protocol involves short bursts of exercise lasting for 60 seconds or less followed by a period of complete aerobic recovery. The underlying principle of this exercise protocol is that rest, recovery and the body's natural rhythm are important to fitness …

Osteon Pullout In The Equine Third Metacarpal Bone: Effects Of Ex Vivo Fatigue, L. P. Hiller, S. M. Stover, V. A. Gibson, J. C. Gibeling, C. S. Prater, S. J. Hazelwood, O. C. Yeh, R. B. Martin

Biomedical Engineering

An important concept in bone mechanics is that osteons influence mechanical properties in several ways, including contributing to toughness and fatigue strength by debonding from the interstitial matrix so as to "bridge" developing cracks. Observations of "pulled out" osteons on fracture surfaces are thought to be indicative of such behavior. We tested the hypothesis that osteon pullout varies with mode of loading (fatigue vs. monotonic), cortical region, elastic modulus, and fatigue life. Mid-diaphseal beams from the dorsal, medial, and lateral regions of the equine third metacarpal bone were fractured in four point bending by monotonic loading to failure under deflection …