Engineering Commons^™

Development Of A Grass Measurement Optimisation Tool To Efficiently Measure Herbage Mass On Grazed Pastures, D. J. Murphy, B. O'Brien, Michael D. Murphy

Publications

Accurate and efficient estimation of herbage mass is essential for optimising grass utilisation and increasing profit for pasture farming. There is no definitive sampling protocol for grass measurement on Irish pastures. This paper presents the Grass Measurement Optimisation Tool (GMOT), designed to generate measurement protocols that optimise for time and accuracy. The GMOT was designed in the form of a decision support tool that generates interactive paddock maps that guide the farmer on how to optimally measure their pastures in a random stratified manner based on GPS co-ordinates, resulting in accurate non-biased estimations of mean herbage mass. Rising plate meter …

Effect Of Additional Weight On Human Squat Exercise Stability: Ground Reaction Forces And Centers Of Pressure, Jose Galarza, Dumitru Carantu

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

The main focus of this work is to investigate the effect of weight on the stability of human squat exercise. The squat exercise is a common daily activity. Experiments are conducted using one human subject. A VICON motion analysis system integrated with Force Plates is utilized for these experiments. An experimental protocol is developed and followed. This work analyzes the time series of the normal component of the ground reaction forces and each coordinate of the center of pressure. These time series are used to estimate the Lyapunov Exponents using Rosenstein method. MATLAB software package is used for this investigation. …

Sonoporation-Mediated Loading Of Trehalose In Cells For Cryopreservation., Charles W. Shaffer Iv, David F. Grimm, Michael A. Menze, Jonathan A. Kopechek

Undergraduate Research Events

Trehalose, a non-reducing disaccharide, is present in many microorganisms and metazoans. In these organisms, trehalose acts as a stress protectant and helps preserve lipid membranes of cells during states of desiccation and freezing. Trehalose is required on both sides of the cell membrane to achieve a significant cryoprotective effect. Specific loading methods for trehalose are required since this sugar is impermeant to mammalian cells. Trehalose loading in mammalian cells has been achieved by fluid-phase endocytosis and genetic modification for the expression of trehalose transporters, however cryoprotective outcomes are unable to compete with established methods of cryopreservation for mammalian cells. Sonoporation …

Single‐Molecule 3d Orientation Imaging Reveals Nanoscale Compositional Heterogeneity In Lipid Membranes, Jin Lu, Hesam Mazidi, Tianben Ding, Oumeng Zhang, Matthew D. Lew

Electrical & Systems Engineering Publications and Presentations

In soft matter, thermal energy causes molecules to continuously translate and rotate, even in crowded environments, thereby impacting the spatial organization and function of most molecular assemblies, such as lipid membranes. Directly measuring the orientation and spatial organization of large collections (>3000 molecules μm⁻²) of single molecules with nanoscale resolution remains elusive. In this paper, we utilize SMOLM, single‐molecule orientation localization microscopy, to directly measure the orientation spectra (3D orientation plus “wobble”) of lipophilic probes transiently bound to lipid membranes, revealing that Nile red's (NR) orientation spectra are extremely sensitive to membrane chemical composition. SMOLM images resolve …

Classifying Reflectance Targets Under Ambient Light Conditions Using Passive Spectral Measurements, Ali Hamidisepehr, Michael P. Sama, Joseph S. Dvorak, Ole O. Wendroth, Michael D. Montross

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Collecting remotely sensed spectral data under varying ambient light conditions is challenging. The objective of this study was to test the ability to classify grayscale targets observed by portable spectrometers under varying ambient light conditions. Two sets of spectrometers covering ultraviolet (UV), visible (VIS), and near−infrared (NIR) wavelengths were instrumented using an embedded computer. One set was uncalibrated and used to measure the raw intensity of light reflected from a target. The other set was calibrated and used to measure downwelling irradiance. Three ambient−light compensation methods that successively built upon each other were investigated. The default method used a variable …

Assessing Vulture Translocation As A Management Tool To Mitigate Airport Bird Strikes, Weber Galvão Novaes, Tarcísio Lyra Dos Santos Abreu, Rafael Soave Guerta

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Collisions between wildlife and aircraft are a major safety concern for international aviation. In the Americas, vultures (Cathartidae) are considered to be one of the most hazardous bird species to airport operations. In this study, we evaluated the use of translocations as a management technique to reduce vulture abundance near the Manaus International Airport (MAO), Manaus, Brazil. The MAO is one of the busiest and most strategically important airports in South America, often referred to as the gateway to the Brazilian Amazon. We captured, wing-tagged, and translocated 98 vultures between August and October 2013 and between January and April 2014. …

Nebraska State And Federal Tax Issues: Opinions Of Rural Nebraskans, John C. Allen, Sam Cordes, Amy M. Smith, Matt Spilker, Amber Hamilton

Rural Futures Institute: Publications

Includes

Executive summary

Introduction

Methodology

Respondent profile

Findings

Nebraska Tax Issues

Federal Government Deficit Reduction

Federal Taxation Options

Federal Program Reduction Alternatives

Conclusions

Personalized Medicine: The Use Of Biomarkers And Molecularly Targeted Therapies For Patient Care And Cancer Intervention, Wafa Asad, Emily Schmitt Lavin

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

Personalized medicine and targeted therapy have been emerging fields of study for the remediation and inhibition of cancer. Personalized medicine in the treatment of cancer involves using genetic, immune, and proteomic profiling to provide therapeutic options as well as prognostic background for every patient and their tumor’s genetic mutations. Targeted therapies allow researchers and medical personnel alike to determine the appropriate treatment for a patient based on the molecular basis and mechanistic actions of a cancerous tumor. The overall significance of this study was to express how these treatments use biomarkers to pinpoint the location, and severity of the cancer, …

Investigating The Combined Effects Of Whole Body Vibration And Vestibular Stimulation On Spasticity And Dystonia In Cerebral Palsy, Peter A. Michael

Dissertations

This study identifies and addresses three voids and potential shortcomings associated with the classification, assessment and management of Cerebral Palsy (CP). These concerns should not undermine the significant advancement that has been made in this specific branch of rehabilitation, but addressing them is necessary. Cerebral Palsy is a group of motor impairments due to hypoxic-ischemic brain damage around the time of birth and very commonly manifests as excessive muscle tone and poor motor control. There are classifications within CP including spasticity and dystonia.

First, a level of discrepancy is present in the classification of CP between the clinical and research …

Microglia Induced Neuroinflammation Through The Nlrp3 Inflammasome Following Blast Traumatic Brain Injury, Daniel Younger

Dissertations

The incidence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) among military personnel have been steadily increasing with modern conflicts. A recent RAND report estimated 320,000 service members, totaling 20% of deployed forces, suffer from TBI. However, of this population roughly 60% have not seen a medical professional specifically for TBI. Unlike the civilian population, the primary cause of TBI for active-duty military personnel is blast exposure. Blasts now account for over 70% of all US military casualties in operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation enduring freedom (OEF) and are the major cause of TBI. Among many pathological mechanisms associated with blast TBI, …

Comparison Of Longitudinal Changes In Resting State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Between Alzheimer’S And Healthy Controls, Berk Can Yilmaz

Theses

Resting State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (rs-fMRI) is a technique that is widely used for analyzing brain function using different approaches and methods. This study involves rs-fMRI analysis of Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent (BOLD) signals acquired from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) Patients and Healthy Controls (HC). Each subject in the study had both functional and anatomical images with at least one rs-fMRI scan with their Anatomical (T1) scans. Previous rs-fMRI studies have demonstrated that AD shows differences in Amplitude of Low Frequency (<0.1 Hz) Fluctuations (ALFF), and Regional Homogeneity (ReHo) measures according to HCs.

The aim of the study is to investigate individual and group level differences using ReHo and mALFF related …

Characterization Of Neuronal Differentiation And Activity In Human-Induced Pluripotent Neural Stem Cells, Allison Biddinger

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Ventilation & Masks: Reducing Airborne Transmission Of Covid-19 In A Classroom, Eric A. Schiff

SyracuseCoE

We've calculated the number of COVID-19 infections that will be spread from a single COVID-19 "superspreader" to students and teachers in a classroom shared for 4 hours in different ventilation and masking conditions.

Dectin-1 Mediated Mechanical Force Generation In Candida Albicans Fungal Pathogen Recognition, Rohan Choraghe

Biomedical Engineering ETDs

Candida spp. pathogens continue to be a major health care burden with high mortality and exceeding a billion dollars in terms of healthcare cost. Candidainfection ranges from superficial dermatological infection to more serious blood stream infection in debilitated patients. One of the major lines of innate immune defense against Candidais phagocytosis. Dectin-1 is the antifungal receptor in myeloid cells responsible for most immune responses against fungi including phagocytosis. We looked into the signaling pathway coordinating this mechanical process downstream of Dectin-1. We found that Dectin-1 activation gives rise to a significant mechanical force generation mediated through RHOA-ROCK-MyosinII pathway. …

A Strategy To Predict The Global Warming Gas From Stock Farming —Potential Scaling Law Of The Released Methane From Livestock—, Toshiaki Nakashima, Tsuneyoshi Matsuoka, Yuji Nakamura

Progress in Scale Modeling, an International Journal

This work examines a scaling approach to predict the amount of methane released from the daily activity of livestock on farms. The subject animals are ruminants, i.e. having rumen or a ruminant stomach, that generates methane through digestion processes via several microbial fermentation steps. The produced methane is mixed into their breathing and released into the atmosphere. Existing data on methane released from various kinds of ruminant livestock were correlated as a power function of an animal’s weight, with an exponent near 0.92. This value is larger than a value of 0.75 which was related to the general metabolism rates …

The Behavior Of Micro Explosive Charge Underwater Explosion Near A Rigid Wall, Kazutaka Kitagawa, Atsushi Abe

Progress in Scale Modeling, an International Journal

The interactions between an underwater explosion and underwater structures is a research topic related to understanding strong impulsive forces for disaster preparation and prevention. This study is a part of series studying the behavior of underwater explosion bubbles near different boundaries and structures because understanding the boundary phases and the pulsation of bubbles could be a useful predictive tool. Micro explosive underwater explosions were conducted by detonating a very small amount of silver azide; the time evolution and attenuation of effects from the explosion were studied. Both numerical and experimental data were acquired and compared for underwater shock waves, gas …

The Law Of Black Mirror - Syllabus, Yafit Lev-Aretz, Nizan Packin

Open Educational Resources

Using episodes from the show Black Mirror as a study tool - a show that features tales that explore techno-paranoia - the course analyzes legal and policy considerations of futuristic or hypothetical case studies. The case studies tap into the collective unease about the modern world and bring up a variety of fascinating key philosophical, legal, and economic-based questions.

Convex Relaxations For Particle-Gradient Flow With Applications In Super-Resolution Single-Molecule Localization Microscopy, Hesam Mazidisharfabadi

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) techniques have become advanced bioanalytical tools by quantifying the positions and orientations of molecules in space and time at the nanoscale. With the noisy and heterogeneous nature of SMLM datasets in mind, we discuss leveraging particle-gradient flow 1) for quantifying the accuracy of localization algorithms with and without ground truth and 2) as a basis for novel, model-driven localization algorithms with empirically robust performance. Using experimental data, we demonstrate that overlapping images of molecules, a typical consequence of densely packed biological structures, cause biases in position estimates and reconstruction artifacts. To minimize such biases, we develop …

Microrna Gene Expression States Underlying Individual Variation In Aging And Lifespan In Isogenic C. Elegans, Holly Kinser

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Average lifespan differs greatly between species, but lifespan among same-species individuals is also highly variable. While much effort has been devoted to uncovering longevity-associated traits and lifespan-extending perturbations in humans and model organisms, how differences in lifespan arise between individuals is unknown. Studies of human identical twins demonstrate that surprisingly little of the variation in lifespan between individuals can be explained by genetics and shared environment. Furthermore, even genetically identical C. elegans reared in highly homogeneous environments display a degree of variability in lifespan similar to that of outbred human populations. Thus, longevity must be determined at least in part …

A Step Forward Towards Advanced And Self-Sustainable Greenhouse Agriculture, Mohammad Nur E Alam, Mikhail Vasiliev, Jacqualine Anne Thomas

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

It is now time for the future-generation and advanced greenhouse design practices to address a range of issues, from the energy and land use efficiency to providing plant-optimised growth techniques. In this Encyclopaedia record, we report on the practical development of spectrally selective and specialist-type advanced metal-dielectric thin-film filters that produce the optimized illumination spectrum when exposed to natural sunlight that can help maximize the biomass productivity of coated-glass greenhouse crops. Our experimental case study has been performed for the lettuce species, Lactuca sativa, L., yielding promising results.

Isolation And Characterization Of Bacteria In A Toluene-Producing Enrichment Culture Derived From Contaminated Groundwater At A Louisiana Superfund Site, Madison Mikes

LSU Master's Theses

In an effort to better understand the role that various microbes may play in toluene production, bacteria from a toluene-producing enrichment culture derived from contaminated groundwater at a Superfund site were cultivated and isolated on low nutrient solid media. A total of 14 solid medium formulations containing varying pH ranges, carbon sources, solidifying agents, and incubation gas headspaces were used to obtain 278 isolates in pure culture. Isolated bacteria, identified using partial 16S rRNA gene sequences, were most closely related with the genera Anoxybacillus, Azospira, Bacillus, Bradyrhizobium, Cellulosimicrobium, Micrococcus, and Propionicimonas.

Further attempts …

Ronald E. Mcnair Scholars Program Profiles And Abstracts 2020, Mcnair Scholars Program

McNair Symposium

This is the complete event program and provides presentation abstracts and biographies of McNair scholars and their mentors.

Photovoltaic Systems On Dairy Farms: Financial And Renewable Multi-Objective Optimization (Farmoo) Analysis, Michael Breen, J. Upton, Michael D. Murphy

Publications

No abstract provided.

Near Simultaneous Laser Scanning Confocal And Atomic Force Microscopy (Conpokal) On Live Cells, Joree N. Sandin, Surya P. Aryal, Thomas E. Wilkop, Christopher I. Richards, Martha E. Grady

Physiology Faculty Publications

Techniques available for micro- and nano-scale mechanical characterization have exploded in the last few decades. From further development of the scanning and transmission electron microscope, to the invention of atomic force microscopy, and advances in fluorescent imaging, there have been substantial gains in technologies that enable the study of small materials. Conpokal is a portmanteau that combines confocal microscopy with atomic force microscopy (AFM), where a probe "pokes" the surface. Although each technique is extremely effective for the qualitative and/or quantitative image collection on their own, Conpokal provides the capability to test with blended fluorescence imaging and mechanical characterization. Designed …

Effects Of Period And Temperature On Quality And Shelf-Life Of Cucumber And Garden-Eggs Packaged Using Cassava Starch-Zinc Nanocomposite Film, Adeshina Fadeyibi, Zinash Delebo Osunde, Mohammed Gana Yisa

Journal of Applied Packaging Research

Nanocomposite film can be used to prolong the shelf-life of fruits and vegetables. This research was undertaken to investigate the effects of packaging period and temperature on the quality and self-lives of cucumber and garden-eggs packaged using cassava starch-zinc nanocomposite film. Hundred grams each of cucumber and garden-eggs were wrapped in a 200× 350 mm size nanocomposite film and low density polyethylene (LDPE) of 2.240± 1.076 × 10^-10 gm^-1Pa^-1s^-1 water vapor and 1.568± 0.084× 10^-10 gm^-1Pa^-1s^-1 oxygen gas permeability. The products were stored at 10−27^oC temperatures …

Functional Characterization Of Petiolule-Like Pulvinus (Plp) Gene In Abscission Zone Development In Medicago Truncatula And Its Application To Genetic Improvement Of Alfalfa, Juan Du, Shaoyun Lu, Maofeng Chai, Chuanen Zhou, Liang Sun, Yuhong Tang, Jin Nakashima, Jaydeep Kolape, Zhaozhu Wen, Marjan Behzadirad, Tianxiu Zhong, Juan Sun, Yunwei Zhang, Zeng-Yu Wang

Nebraska Center for Biotechnology: Faculty and Staff Publications

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is one of the most important forage crops throughout the world. Maximizing leaf retention during the haymaking process is critical for achieving superior hay quality and maintaining biomass yield. Leaf abscission process affects leaf retention. Previous studies have largely focused on the molecular mechanisms of floral organ, pedicel and seed abscission but scarcely touched on leaf and petiole abscission. This study focuses on leaf and petiole abscission in the model legume Medicago truncatula and its closely related commercial species alfalfa. By analysing the petiolule-like pulvinus (plp) mutant in M. truncatula at phenotypic level …

The Investigation Of Surface Structures On Various Pathogens And Their Interactions With The Human Immune System, Carmen M. Villalobos

Biomedical Engineering ETDs

The cell surface is the first interface the host immune system encounters and

its investigation has led to a better understanding of cellular biology and types of

pathways that pathogens target in a host cell. The cell surface has evolved to include

many functions such as manipulation of the cytoskeleton, cell signaling, membrane

trafficking, adhesion, and integration into host tissue. The pathogens of interest are

the pathogenic fungus, Candida albicans, and the parasite, Giardia lamblia and we

investigate the consequences of drug treatments on the cell surface, leading to

promising new targets.

Maleic Anhydride Compatibilized Peach Waste As Filler In Polypropylene And High Density Polyethylene Biocomposites, Caralyn Wong, Stephanie Jung, Joongmin Shin, Ajay Kathuria

Master's Theses

It is estimated that roughly 103, 515 tons of peach waste is produced annually in the US. The majority of the waste is disposed of in landfills, which contributes to climate change as they release 93 million metric tons of CO₂ equivalent. Peach waste principally consists of remaining stone and seed after flesh removal. The agro-waste includes both cellulose and lignin, which can be utilized as a filler in plastic packaging to reduce carbon footprints and material cost. The objectives of this research are (1) to develop peach flour (PF)-filled biocomposites with a polyolefin matrix using maleic anhydride-g-high density …

Differences In Soil Water Changes And Canopy Temperature Under Varying Water × Nitrogen Sufficiency For Maize, Tsz Him Lo, Daran Rudnick, Kendall C. Dejonge, Geng Bai, Hope Njuki Nakabuye, Abia Katimbo, Yufeng Ge, Trenton E. Franz, Xin Qiao, Derek M. Heeren

West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte

Crop nitrogen (N) status is known to affect crop water status and crop water use. To investigate further the N effects on soil water changes and on canopy temperature, three water levels × four N levels were imposed on two growing seasons of maize in west central Nebraska, USA. Soil water changes were measured using a neutron probe, whereas canopy temperature was measured using infrared thermometers on a ground-based mobile platform. At all water levels, soil water losses over monthlong intervals were generally greater as N levels increased. Given equal water levels, early afternoon canopy temperatures were usually lower with …

Resilience In Nonmetropolitan Nebraska: Capacity To Overcome Disasters And Hardships, 2020 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca Vogt, Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, Brad Lubben, L.J. Mcelravy, Timothy Meyer, Steve Schulz, Jason L. Weigle

Rural Futures Institute: Publications

The definition of resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. Synonyms include toughness, perseverance and grit. Last spring’s severe weather events and this year’s ongoing COVID-19 pandemic are likely testing the resilience of rural Nebraskans. Given that, how do rural Nebraskans rate their communities on dimensions that measure their resiliency? How confident are they that the federal government or local emergency management authorities can contain infectious disease outbreaks? How do they rate their ability to help their community handle adversities? How prepared are rural Nebraskans to deal with financial emergencies? This paper provides a detailed analysis of these …