Engineering Commons^™

Vertical Farming: A Key To Sustainable Compact Cities, Mohab Taher Abdelfatah, Sahar Mahmoud El-Arnaouty, Akram Abdelhakim Zayan

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Urbanization continues to surge, with projections indicating that by 2050, around 70 percent of the global population will reside in urban areas. In response, urban planners are exploring novel urban paradigms to ensure food security through urban agriculture, a cornerstone of sustainable development encompassing environmental, economic, and social dimensions. This study addresses a critical research gap within urban agriculture, conducting a comparative analysis between horizontal and vertical farming methodologies within urban contexts. By categorizing various typologies of vertical farming, from container farms to mixed-use structures, this research highlights their distinct contributions to sustainable urban development. Emphasis is placed on vertical …

Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions In Maize No-Till Agroecosystems In Southern Brazil Based On A Long-Term Experiment, Guilherme Rosa Da Silva, Adam J. Liska, Cimelio Bayer

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Brazilian agriculture is constantly questioned concerning its environmental impacts, particularly greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This research study used data from a 34-year field experiment to estimate the life cycle GHG emissions intensity of maize production for grain in farming systems under no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) combined with Gramineae (oat) and legume (vetch) cover crops in southern Brazil. We applied the Feedstock Carbon Intensity Calculator for modeling the “field-to-farm gate” emissions with measured annual soil N₂O and CH₄ emissions data. For net CO₂ emissions, increases in soil organic C (SOC) were applied as a proxy, …

Classification Of Sow Postures Using Convolutional Neural Network And Depth Images, Md Towfiqur Rahman, Tami M. Brown-Brandl, Gary A. Rohrer, Sudhendu R. Sharma, Yeyin Shi

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The United States swine industry reports an average preweaning mortality of approximately 16% where approximately 6% of them are attributed to piglets overlayed by sows. Detecting postural transitions and estimating sows’ time budgets for different postures are valuable information for breeders and engineering design of farrowing facilities to eventually reduce piglet death. Computer vision tools can help monitor changes in animal posture accurately and efficiently. To create a more robust system and eliminate varying lighting issues within a day including daytime/ nighttime differences, there is an advantage to using depth cameras over digital cameras. In this study, a computer vision …

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

United States Department of Agriculture 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 …

An Assessment Of User Satisfaction On Remote Court Hearings In The Brunei Civil Court, Hazwani Masli, Seyed M. Buhari

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

Remote court hearings (RCHs) have significantly benefited the Brunei Civil Court in maintaining its judicial system and reducing backlogs as a preventative measure, during COVID-19. RCHs have enhanced the judicial system's accessibility, saving resources and increasing court performance and productivity. However, technical problems and mistrust have slowed the RCH's adoption. This study assessed user satisfaction with remote court hearings using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) framework. Three external variables influenced the perceived usefulness of remote court hearings: trust, perceived risk, and fairness expectations. This study also included moderator variables such as age group and professions. This study showed that trust, …

Laboratory Characteristics, Performance Evaluation, And Agency Cost Analysis Of Cold-Recycled Asphalt Mixtures, Marwa B. Elaskary, Ahmed M. Awed, Alaa R. Gabr, Sherif M. El-Badawy

Mansoura Engineering Journal

This technical study offers a comprehensive investigation into the utilization of Cold Recycled Asphalt Mixtures (CRAMs) with varying proportions of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) in the context of pavement maintenance applications. The study encompasses a multi-faceted analysis, encompassing laboratory mix design requirements, mix performance evaluations, and a thorough assessment of economic benefits, with the overarching goal of promoting the sustainable adoption of CRAMs in pavement maintenance. To achieve the objectives of the research, five ratios of RAP to virgin aggregates (VA) of (0%:100%), (25%:75%), (50%:50%), (75%:25%), and (100%: 0%). The research encompasses a wide array of laboratory tests and investigations …

The Role Of Smart Systems In Conservation On Sustainability Of Heritage Buildings, Aml Abd El-Wareth Mohamed

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Abstract— Historic cities with challenges in trying to integrate their heritage buildings to keep pace with the age of technology, by developing a vision for an intelligent environment (IE) of the future that would integrate smart systems for conservation on heritage. Recent, information and communications technology (ICT) progress has diverse smart heritage solutions, enhancing efficiency, sustainability, and longevity for future generations. Research problem includes challenging the possibility of integrating smart systems into heritage buildings while conserving its values, identity, and using it effectively, sustainably manner, also no comprehensive model for smart technology integration in heritage buildings for automation and control …

The Mechanical Performance Of Sustainable High Performance Concrete Containing Hybrid Polypropylene Fibers And Exposed To Elevated Temperatures, Ahmed M. Tahwia, Marwa M. Ouda, Mohamed Abdellatief, Walid E. Elemam

Mansoura Engineering Journal

The purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of hybrid micro and macro polypropylene fibers (PPFs) on the mechanical characteristics and microstructure of high performance concrete (HPC). Seven concrete mixes with different contents of hybrid polypropylene fibers were tested. The tests included the slump test, compressive and flexural strength, resistance to elevated temperatures, and concrete microstructure. Compared to the control mixture, introducing macro and micro polypropylene hybrid fibers to HPC mixes dramatically enhanced the flexural and compressive strength of concrete while lowering workability. HPC compressive and flexural strengths decrease as temperature rises, nevertheless, the strength loss rate was …

Unleashing The Potential: The Impact Of Biophilic Office Design On Enhancing Employee Productivity, Asmaa Elantary

Mansoura Engineering Journal

The observed landscape influences people in numerous ways, including aesthetic appreciation, health, and well-being. The evidence of health benefits associated with viewing those landscapes has proven exceptional value. A comprehensive review of papers on landscapes and sound effects on health was conducted. According to a growing body of evidence, exposure to visible landscapes positively affects one's health and fitness. The most pressing social and economic challenge now is increasing worker productivity, attracting, and retaining exceptionally talented employees, and improving overall employee performance. This will not happen unless companies provide a safe, comfortable, and stimulating work environment; this will not happen. …

Knowledge Gap Analysis For Efficient Form-Finding Of Lightweight Structures, Shorouk Mohamad Khedr, Mohamed Esmat Elattar, Ahmed Eltantawy, Esraa Elazab

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Historically, Performance assessment of temporary structures’ form was substantially dependent on how loads transfer along geometry. Fortunately, the development of tools has enabled designers to explore more design variations as well as testing their feasibility. This study aims to address the knowledge gap between design process, tool contributions and feasibility requirements of temporary structures. This will be achieved through analyzing the evolution of temporary structures’ design approaches including early form finding approaches, geometrical properties dependencies, reflections of both bottom -top and top-bottom approach as well as linking them to material innovations, structural contributions and manual experiments. As a result, the …

A 10-Gb/S Single-Loop Half-Rate Dll-Based Clock And Data Recovery Circuit For Forwarded-Clock Wireline Transceivers, Abdallah K. Mohamed, Sameh A. Ibrahim, Mohy Eldin A. Abo-Elsoud

Mansoura Engineering Journal

This paper introduces a 10-Gb/s single-loop, half-rate delay-locked loop (DLL)-based clock and data recovery (CDR) circuit for forwarded-clock (FC) wireline transceivers. The proposed CDR employs a differential ring oscillator (RO) with sub-feedback loops structure for multi-phase clock generation with a single-loop operation. An Alexander phase detector utilizing a flip-flop based on an improved true single-phase clock (TSPC) logic with split outputs is adopted. The proposed DLL-based CDR is an optimized solution in terms of area and power for FC wireline transceivers. The recovered clock exhibits an RMS jitter of 590 fs and a peak-to-peak jitter of 3.8 ps. The circuit …

A Novel Method For The Production Of Pig Iron In “Hadisolb” Company (Industrial-Scale Experiments), El-Sayed A. Rassoul

Mansoura Engineering Journal

The chairman of “Hadisolb” had submitted a memorandum in 1977 in which he claimed that the company will never achieve its designed capacity unless it gets rid of the threatening impurities -high alkalis & MnO- in the blast furnace burden. Meanwhile, the DR steel companies are suffering from the generated accumulated wastes which contain > 67% Fe, zero% alkalis and traces of MnO. The novel idea here is finding the best ratio between El-Gedida ore and the waste material (W.M.). In a previous investigation a series of pilot-scale sintering experiments were performed and it was concluded that the blend containing 70% …

Study The Application Of Different Building Technology Systems Case Study: A Residential Villa In Al-Qassim Region, Ksa, Ahmed Abdelmonteleb M. Ali, Essam S. Almahmoud, Basem O. Elgendy, Azzam I. Aljutayli, Meshal A. Alhrabi, Khattab I. Alyahya

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Buildings are responsible for 39% of global energy-related carbon emissions; 11% come from materials and construction, and 28% come from operational emissions (the energy required to heat, cool, and power). Embodied carbon will contribute an increasing amount to the emissions from new buildings in the future as carbon emissions from building operations continue to decline. This study examined several construction methods and materials to evaluate alternatives for remodeling a residential villa. A villa in the Al-Qassim Region, Buraidah, served as a case study for this research. The methodology employed provided a meticulous appraisal of the building materials and techniques currently …

Enhancing The Perception Of Public Urban Spaces Via Place-Making: Martyrs' Square And Selected Locations In El-Gaish Street Case Study, Vert Kamal Ramzy, Nanees Abdel Hamid Mohamed Ali Elsayyad, Lamis Saad El-Din El-Gizawi

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Trust be told that urban spaces have generated a lot of controversy in recent years. The major issues that I will address in this paper are transformations in the urban environment affected by different appearances due to economic and social changes that shape their meaning through human interactions for creating a social life. With the emergence of modern architecture and planning patterns, urban spaces have become the focus of researchers for study and analysis to determine the best destination.

This paper aims to present place-making as an approach to strengthening the perception of public urban spaces and, consequently, its impact …

The Effect Of Nanoconfined Liquid Properties On The Water-Responsive Behavior Of Bacterial Cell Walls, Seungri Kim

Dissertations and Theses

Water-responsive (WR) materials have the ability to mechanically swell and shrink in response to changes in relative humidity (RH). These WR materials are used by many biological systems to perform essential tasks; for example, pinecones use WR materials to release their seeds in dry environments, and wheat awns open and close to propel seeds into the soil, driven by daily RH changes. The WR actuation of some biomaterials is extremely powerful, for example Bacillus subtilis cell walls display record-high actuation energy and power densities of 72 MJ m^-3 and 9.1 MW m^-3, surpassing those of all existing …

Program And Proceedings: Nebraska Academy Of Sciences 1880–2024, 144th Anniversary Year, One Hundred-Thirty-Fourth Annual Meeting

Nebraska Academy of Sciences: Programs and Proceedings

Program

Aeronautics and Space Science

Aeronautics and Space Science Poster Session

Anthropology: Humans Past and Present

Maiben Lecture: "Platte Basin Timelapse: A Watershed in Motion," Grant Reiner

Applied Science and Technology

Biological Sciences

Biomedical Sciences

Chemistry

Earh Sciences

Environmental Sciences

Physics

Science Education

Deepwhalenet: A Climate Change-Aware Fft-Based Neural Network For Underwater Passive Acoustic Monitoring, Nicholas Ryan Rasmussen

Dissertations and Theses

In the face of escalating climate threats, the conservation of whale species has become increasingly critical. Traditional acoustic monitoring methods, burdened by extensive pre-processing and post-processing, need more adaptability and efficiency for effective marine mammal surveillance. This study introduces DeepWhaleNet, a novel deep-learning framework tailored for Underwater Passive Acoustic Monitoring (UPAM). DeepWhaleNet is designed to streamline whale detection by directly analyzing raw log-power spectrograms, thus extracting essential acoustic features to conserve these endangered species. The framework employs an extensive short-time Fourier transform (STFT) for input processing and a customized ResNet-18 architecture for classification, distinguishing whale vocalizations from ambient noise and …

Development And Evaluation Of A Retrofittable Variable Rate Applicator Controller, Ahmed Abdalla

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The need to optimize resource utilization while increasing crop productivity is paramount. This research proposes a Low-cost Retrofittable Variable Rate Applicator Controller (VRAC) that aims to leverage the adoption of Variable Rate Technologies. The controller operates via the Raspberry Pi platform, a Global Positioning System (GPS), a stepper motor drive, and an anti-slip wheel encoder. The VRAC allows precise, on-the-fly control of variable-rate application of farming inputs. It utilizes GPS with 10 cm accuracy to pinpoint geographic coordinates in real-time. A wheel encoder measures traveling speed with a slip-resistant wheel design for precise RPM readings. The Raspberry processes the data, …

Unlv Title Iii Aanapisi & Mcnair Scholars Institute Research Journal 2024, Jesica Godinez-Paredes, Kian Hassankhan, Apia Hickman, Robin Ruth Kee, Kevin Ayala Pineda, Briana Melendez, Kalli Ramos, Saturn L. Reyes, Fabian Leija, Selena Pepe, Silva Topchyan, Celeste Ainsley, Mayra Arzate, Jessica Balistreri, Zantana Ephrem, Mirella Jasso, Karl Panou, Nichole Pelaez, Miklo Alcala, Akshay Dave, Mey Mey Heng, Michael Finkle, Janessa Montenegro, Reynafe Naol Aniga, Victor Mejia, Angelica G. Diaz, Anayeli Flores-Garibay, Kari Lee Joe Goold, Samantha Hernandez, Lianelys Cabrera Martinez, Caitlin Reynolds, Kimberly N. Usbeck, Abdulrahman Alahdal, Angelica Diaz, Willaine Mae Kahano, Raquel Jackson, Cecia Ruiz-Hernandez, Kers Ung-Watson, Yessenia Henriquez, Vanessa Marie Booth, Alexia Brown, Darlyn Magana, Bianca Navarro, Nicholas Pereira, Gia Renemae Calip, Lucky Heng, Ralph Sagun, Lucas Abreu, Alexandra Maria Acosta, Tristan Benally, Cosset Hernandez Pena, Adrian Montenegro, Cierra Paaaina-Daquioag, Nicole Torosian, Tracy Fuentes, Julissa Martinez, Medina Mcallister, Michal Newhouse-Van Vlerin, Tiria Carr, Nima Abkenar, Isabella Aceituno, Yuhan Bi, Victoria Campos, Melika Cummings, Zachary J. Johnigan, Alexis Sotolongo-Marin

McNair Journal

Journal articles based on research conducted by undergraduate students in the AANAPISI, LSAMP, and McNair Scholars Program.

Table of Contents

About AANAPISI

Dr. Chris Heavey, Interim President

Dr. Keith Rogers, Vice President for Student Affairs

Ms. Zhanna Aronov, Associate Vice President for Retention & Outreach

Genetic Engineering Of Escherichia Coli For The Production Of Riboflavin, Adeyemi Adesanwo

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Riboflavin, a water-soluble vitamin B2, is essential for the growth and reproduction of living organisms. However, humans and animals lack a riboflavin synthesis pathway and must rely on diets derived from plants and microbes for this essential vitamin. To meet our needs for vitamin B2, industrial riboflavin production is currently being pursued using strains of Bacillus subtilis. The fermentation process is successful, but improvements are needed for better substrate-to-product conversion yield. To this end, it is imperative to develop alternative microbial strains for cost-effective riboflavin production.

Due to its simple growth requirement, well-understood genetic background, and widely available genetic tools, …

Active Uncertainty Representation Learning: Toward More Label Efficiency In Deep Learning, Salman Mohamadi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The primary goal of this dissertation is to investigate and improve the efficiency of deep learning algorithms, especially within computer vision problem domains, from the perspective of label-efficiency. This investigation showed that deep learning algorithms are mostly notorious for the lack of uncertainty representation. Accordingly, we aimed to develop an array of deep learning frameworks rich with uncertainty representation. These frameworks are mainly within two current pillars of machine learning, deep active learning and self-supervised learning. These frameworks include deep active ensemble sampling for efficient sample selection within deep active learning, a two-stage ensemble-based general self-training approach for existing visual …

Molecular Understanding And Design Of Deep Eutectic Solvents And Proteins Using Computer Simulations And Machine Learning, Usman Lame Abbas

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have emerged as excellent extractants. A major challenge is the lack of an efficient tool to discover DES candidates. Currently, the search relies heavily on the researchers’ intuition or a trial-and-error process, which leads to a low success rate or bypassing of promising candidates. DES performance depends on the heterogeneous hydrogen bond environment formed by multiple hydrogen bond donors and acceptors. Understanding this heterogeneous hydrogen bond environment can help develop principles for designing high performance DESs for extraction and other separation applications. This work investigates the structure and dynamics of hydrogen bonds in hydrophobic DESs …

Simultaneous Evaluation Of Tibiofemoral And Patellofemoral Mechanics In Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Combined Experimental And Computational Approach, Yashar A. Behnam, Ahilan Anantha Krishnan, Hayden Wilson, Chadd W. Clary

Center for Orthopaedic Biomechanics: Faculty Scholarship

Contemporary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has not fully restored natural patellofemoral (P-F) mechanics across the patient population. Previous experimental simulations have been limited in their ability to create dynamic, unconstrained, muscle-driven P-F articulation while simultaneously controlling tibiofemoral (T-F) contact mechanics. The purpose of this study was to develop a novel experimental simulation and validate a corresponding finite element model to evaluate T-F and P-F mechanics. A commercially available wear simulator was retrofitted with custom fixturing to evaluate whole-knee TKA mechanics with varying patella heights during a simulated deep knee bend. A corresponding dynamic finite element model was developed to validate …

An Overview Of The Relationships Between The Food Industry And Nanotechnology, Mehdi Koushki, Nasrin Amiri-Dashatan, Hossein Pourghadamyari, Hadi Khodabandehloo, Fatemeh Bagheri, Masoumeh Farahani, Lobat Tayebi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Background and Objective: Due to the growth of the global population, food demands are increasing. Hence, the need to develop more efficient methods for producing better quality, safer, and more sustainable food seems essential. In the past decades, the use of nanoscale materials has increased greatly due to the unique chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of nanomaterials compared to bulk materials. This research presents nanotechnology role in improving sensorial properties (taste, appearance, and texture) and safety aspects as well as processing and packaging of foods. The use of nano-omics-based technologies and artificial intelligence-nanotechnology-based technologies in the food industry is also …

Dna I-Motifs: Biophysical Characterization And Structure-Property Correlation As Foundation For Functional Material Design, Alexander Minasyan

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Over the past decades, nucleic acids have emerged as crucial frameworks with significance in biological systems and functional material engineering. Cytosine-rich deoxyribonucleotide sequences can form quadruplex structures a.k.a. i-motifs. Recently, i-motifs have attracted scientific interest in biological and material design areas.

In this work, we systematically investigate an effect of structured and unstructured modifications such as hairpins, stems, loops and overhangs on the kinetic and thermodynamic properties of DNA i-motifs. We demonstrate that the modifications can influence i-motif’s stability and folding/unfolding rates: thus, double stranded stems and hairpins are the best at stabilizing i-motifs and increasing kinetic rates of folding. …

Bidirectional In-Situ Analysis And Visualization Of Fluid Structure Interactions With Applications In Blood Flow, Nazariy Tishchenko

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Interactive blood flow simulation has applications in the understanding of complex fluids,training medical professionals, diagnostics, and surgical procedure planning. Bidirectional in situ visualization and analysis are much needed to streamline the analysis of large-scale patient-specific blood flow simulations. The in situ component ensures the live visualization of the simulation results while the simulation is running, and the bidirectional component allows for real-time control and configuration of the simulation parameters (i.e., setting and retrieving the simulation parameters and data based on need). In this project, a highly accurate multiphysics simulation was instrumented to work with an existing bidirectional in situ framework. …

Fretting Corrosion Wear Of Titanium-Based Alloy (Ti-6al-4v) In 0.9 Wt.% Nacl Solution, Chen-En Lu, Wen-Ken Li, Hung-Hua Sheu, Jeou-Long Lee, Hung-Bin Lee

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

In this study, a high precision fretting tribo-corrosion tester used to analyze the wear and corrosion behavior of Ti alloys in a fretting motion condition. The tester, operated in a ball-on-plate mode, was employed in the fretting corrosion study of metallic bio-materials (Ti and Ti-6Al-4V) under different loads (0 and 10 N), electrolytes (0.9 wt% NaCl and SBF) and fixed displacement frequency (1 Hz). Using profilometer, optical microscope in the experimental analysis and three-body mechanism in the theoretical analysis, the fretting corrosion performances of these bio-medical metals, such as velocity accommodation characteristics, friction, wear, and scratch profile were examined in …

A New-Type Deep Learning Model Based On Shapley Regulation For Containerized Freight Index Prediction, Yen-Chang Shih, Ming-Shue Lin, Taih-Cherng Lirn, Jih-Gau Juang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

In this study, we have crafted an innovative methodology that represents a groundbreaking synthesis of deep learning techniques with cooperative game theory. In this study, we use the accuracy of data prediction by different LSTM models as a measurement index and assign different LSTM models corresponding weights through the Shapley value calculation method to construct a more accurate predictive analysis model. We use this improved Shapley regulation model to calibrate a long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network by using historical freight data to predict the China Container Freight Index (CCFI), the leading export container freight index commonly used in China. …

Applicability Of Reducing Valve Timing Overlap For Diesel Engines Under High Exhaust Back Pressure, Chien-Cheng Chen, Yuan-Liang Jeng, Shun-Chang Yen

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The exhaust back pressure of diesel engines becomes increasing higher nowadays. As an example, the De-NOx system and DE-SOx system necessitated by the increasingly stringent emission standards, would result in increased exhaust back pressure for those diesel engines adopting such systems. Some ships adopt underwater exhaust system to save space on the working deck and to reduce noise and air pollution, while the hydrostatic pressure under water level has made the exhaust back pressure of diesel engines getting much higher. Under high exhaust back pressure, to keep discharging exhaust unhindered and operating smoothly for diesel engine, it often results in …

Elimination Of Noise In A Ship Cabin Using Multi-Layered Acoustic Boards: An Apso And Sa Approach, Min-Chie Chiu, Ho-Chih Cheng

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

A high level of noise, combined with pure tones, is often encountered in ship's cabins, leading to severe psychological and physiological issues for the crew. To address this problem, an indoor noise abatement solution becomes necessary that utilizes efficient acoustic boards integrated with resonators, positioned along the inner walls of the cabin. However, the thickness of the acoustic boards must be strictly limited due to maintenance and operational considerations. This limitation results in insufficient sound absorption capabilities and a restricted range of tuned frequencies, as the resonating frequency of a standard Helmholtz resonator is closely tied to its cavity. A …