Engineering Commons^™

Investigation Of Media Ingredients And Water Sources For Algae Co2 Capture At Different Scales To Demonstrate The Correlations Between Lab-Scale And Large-Scale Growth, Tabitha Graham

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

As energy use increases globally the environmental burdens increase alike. Many accusations have been made that carbon dioxide is a culprit of climate change. The University of Kentucky and Duke Energy Power have partnered to test carbon capture technology in a large scale project. To this end, the objective of this thesis is to investigate potential water media sources and nutrient sources at different volume scales for algae cultivation to help create a more environmentally viable and economically feasible solution. This work will conduct a life cycle assessment of water media sources and the effects of the inputs and outputs …

Women In Science 2013, Clark Science Center's Summer Research Fellows Program

SURF Abstracts (Women in Science)

“Women in Science” summarizes research done by Smith College’s Summer Research Fellowship (SURF) Program participants. Ever since its 1967 start, SURF has been a cornerstone of Smith’s science education. In 2013, 167 students participated in SURF, supervised by 57 faculty mentor-advisors drawn from the Clark Science Center’s fourteen science, mathematics, and engineering departments and programs, and associated centers and units. At summer’s end, SURF participants were asked to summarize their research experiences for this publication.

Real-Time In Vivo Imaging Of Size-Dependent Transport And Toxicity Of Gold Nanoparticles In Zebrafish Embryos Using Single Nanoparticle Plasmonic Spectroscopy, Lauren M. Browning, Tao Huang, Xiao-Hong Nancy Xu

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) show distinctive plasmonic optical properties and superior photostability, enabling them to serve as photostable multicoloured optical molecular probes and sensors for real-time in vivo imaging. To effectively study biological functions in vivo, it is essential that the NP probes are biocompatible and can be delivered into living organisms non-invasively. In this study, we have synthesized, purified and characterized stable (non-aggregated) gold (Au) NPs (86.2 +/- 10.8 nm). We have developed dark-field single NP plasmonic microscopy and spectroscopy to study their transport into early developing zebrafish embryos (cleavage stage) and their effects on embryonic development …

Method Development For A Chemical And Biological Analysis Of Glucocorticoids In Wastewater, Maria Carmen Lozano

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Glucocorticoids are a class of steroid hormones that can either be produced synthetically or naturally by the adrenal glands. The synthetic glucocorticoids are highly prescribed in the United States for their anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties to treat a variety of ailments and diseases; however, these have been implicated in a number of adverse human conditions such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, immune-suppression, delayed puberty, adrenal insufficiency and Cushing Syndrome, among others. Ongoing research has shown that synthetic and natural hormones are transported to aquatic environments via mammalian excretion or wastewater effluent, and as a result, the release of glucocorticoids into the …

Manufacturing Nerve Guidance Conduits By Stereolithography For Use In Peripheral Nerve Regeneration, Mireya Aidee Perez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Nerve regeneration techniques have been studied in great depth in recent years. Peripheral nerve injuries, in particular, can be caused by accidents, falls, athletic injuries, etc. Current methods of repair include direct suturing of the 2 injured nerve ends or the use of autografts, when a nerve section is taken from another area of the body. Both methods have a series of limitations which have led researchers to study alternative methods of repair. Nerve guidance conduits may provide a viable solution because they can be modified and adapted to the patient's needs. Some conduits already exist on the market and …

Novel Copper (Ii) Mediated Transfection Nano-Systems And Biological Properties Of Pyridinium Surfactants, Sarit Pal

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Efficacy of gene therapy is relied upon the improvement of gene delivery vectors into mammalian cells. Although viral-based polynucleotide carriers are still considered as the most common method for gene delivery but the cost effectiveness, nonspecific lethal immune response has evoked the renaissance of non-viral synthetic delivery systems. An initial discovery by Felgnar et al showed Cationic Liposomes (CLs) (having an overall positive charge) when mixed with DNA to form CL-DNA complexes can enhance the transfer of polynucleotides into cells followed by its expression. Presently, a flurry of experimental works is taking place for the better understanding of structural characterization …

Engineering Novel Terpene Production Platforms In The Yeast Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Xun Zhuang

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

The chemical diversity and biological activities of terpene and terpenoids have served in the development of new flavors, fragrances, medicines and pesticides. While terpenes are made predominantly by plants and microbes in small amounts and as components of complex mixtures, chemical synthesis of terpenes remains technically challenging, costly and inefficient. In this dissertation, methods to create new yeast lines possessing a dispensable mevalonate biosynthetic pathway wherein carbon flux can be diverted to build any chemical class of terpene product are described. The ability of this line to generate diterpenes was next investigated. Using a 5.5 L fed bath fermentation system, …

Transformations, Bioavailability And Toxicity Of Manufactured Zno Nanomaterials In Wastewter, Sewwandi Rathnayake

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

In order to properly evaluate the ecological and human health risks of ZnO Manufactured nanomaterials (MNMs) released to the environment, it is critical to understand the likely transformation products in the wastewater treatment process and in soils receiving biosolids. To address this critical knowledge gap, we examined the transformation reactions of 30 nm ZnO MNMs in single component and multi-component systems, with phosphate and natural organic matter (NOM). We also assessed the influence of nano ZnO transformation on the bioavailability, and toxicity of ZnO transformation products to Triticum aestivum. The data revealed that ZnO MNMs react with phosphate at …

Qualitative And Quantitative Analysis Of Lignocellulosic Biomass Using Infrared Techniques: A Mini-Review, Feng Xu, Jianming Yu, Tesfaye Tesso, Floyd Dowell, Donghai Wang

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Current wet chemical methods for biomass composition analysis using two-step sulfuric acid hydrolysis are time-consuming, labor-intensive, and unable to provide structural information about biomass. Infrared techniques provide fast, low-cost analysis, are non-destructive, and have shown promising results. Chemometric analysis has allowed researchers to perform qualitative and quantitative study of biomass with both near-infrared and mid-infrared spectroscopy. This review summarizes the progress and applications of infrared techniques in biomass study, and compares the infrared and the wet chemical methods for composition analysis. In addition to reviewing recent studies of biomass structure and composition, we also discuss the progress and prospects for …

Bacillus Thuringiensis: Transgenic Crops, Julie A. Peterson, John J. Obrycki, James D. Harwood

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) crops, genetically modified to express insecticidal toxins that target key pests of corn, cotton, rice, potato, and other crops, have been rapidly adopted and have become dominant fixtures in agroecosystems throughout the world. Due to the constitutive nature of Bt toxin expression, insecticidal proteins may be found in nearly all plant tissues, presenting multiple sources for Bt toxins to enter the environment, thus creating complex direct and indirect pathways for non-target organisms to be exposed to insecticidal proteins. The environmental impacts of Bt crops have been widely debated, although both benefits and risks do exist. Benefits of …

Evaluation Of Endogenous Allergens For The Safety Evaluation Of Genetically Engineered Food Crops: Review Of Potential Risks, Test Methods, Examples And Relevance, Richard E. Goodman, Rakhi Panda, Harsha Ariyarathna

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

The safety of food produced from genetically engineered (GE) crops is assessed for potential risks of food allergy on the basis of an international consensus guideline outlined by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (2003). The assessment focuses on evaluation of the potential allergenicity of the newly expressed protein(s) as the primary potential risk using a process that markedly limits risks to allergic consumers. However, Codex also recommended evaluating a second concern, potential increases in endogenous allergens of commonly allergenic food crops that might occur due to insertion of the gene. Unfortunately, potential risks and natural variation of endogenous allergens in non-GE …

Bile-Acid-Mediated Decrease In Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress: A Potential Contributor To The Metabolic Benefits Of Ileal Interposition Surgery In Ucd-T2dm Rats, Bethany P. Cummings, Ahmed Bettaieb, James L. Graham, Jaehyoung Kim, Fangrui Ma, Noreene Shibata, Kimber L. Stanhope, Cecilia Giulivi, Frederik Hansen, Jacob Jelsing, Niels Vrang, Mark Kowala, Michael L. Chouinard, Fawaz G. Haj, Peter J. Havel

Nebraska Center for Biotechnology: Faculty and Staff Publications

Post-operative increases in circulating bile acids have been suggested to contribute to the metabolic benefits of bariatric surgery; however, their mechanistic contributions remain undefined. We have previously reported that ileal interposition (IT) surgery delays the onset of type 2 diabetes in UCD-T2DM rats and increases circulating bile acids, independently of effects on energy intake or body weight. Therefore, we investigated potential mechanisms by which post-operative increases in circulating bile acids improve glucose homeostasis after IT surgery. IT, sham or no surgery was performed on 2-month-old weight-matched male UCD-T2DM rats. Animals underwent an oral fat tolerance test (OFTT) and serial oral …

Experiments To Measure The Effects Of Timber Harvesting Equipment On Surface Lithic Scatters, Douglas J. Baughman

All Master's Theses

The importance of cultural resource preservation cannot be overstated; however local economies are at least as important. Due to conservative archaeological site protection practices in Region 5 of the United States Forest Service, the economy of Northeastern California is being adversely affected. In an attempt to help the Forest Service make more informed management decisions and improve the Northeastern California economy, I undertook experiments on the effects of timber harvesting on lithic scatters on Modoc National Forest. The experiments involved placement of 225 glass tiles (proxy lithics) in each of three plots subject to vehicle traffic and log dragging by …

Synthesis Of 4-Azidocoumarins And Their Use In Copper-Catalyzed Azide-Alkyne Cycloaddition Reactions, Anthony J. Netsuri

Dissertations and Theses

Triazole-containing compounds have shown great biological activity ranging from antiviral, antibacterial, to anticancer, to name a few. Coumarin derivatives have also shown interesting biological activities. The combination of these bioactive compounds appears to have great promise for new and future medicines. In this work, various 4-azido-coumarins were synthesized via the transformation of the 4-hydroxy derivatives to 4-benzotriazolyloxy coumarins by reaction with the peptide coupling agent (benzotriazol-1-yloxy)tris-(dimethylamino)phosphonium hexafluorophosphate (BOP), and 1,8-diazabicycloundec-7-ene (DBU) as the base, in tetrahydrofuran (THF) solvent. The 4-benzotriazolyloxy coumarins were converted to the 4-azidocoumarins by reaction with sodium azide (NaN3), and the overall process was simplified to a …

A Dna Computer For Glioblastoma Multiforme Diagnosis And Drug Delivery, Sumaiya F. Hashmi

CMC Senior Theses

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a debilitating malignant brain tumor with expected patient survival of less than a year and limited responsiveness to most treatments, often requiring biopsy for diagnosis and invasive surgery for treatment. We propose a DNA computer system, consisting of input, computation, and output components, for diagnosis and treatment. The input component will detect the presence of three GBM biomarkers: vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), caveolin-1α (CAV), and B2 receptors. The computation component will include indicator segments for each of these genes, and ensure that output is only released if all the biomarkers are present. The output component …

Optimizing Electrode Design For Microbial Fuel Cells Used For Wastewater Treatment, Lindsay Nichols, John A. Hogan

STAR Program Research Presentations

Microbial fuel cells (MFC) utilize bacteria to generate an electrical current that can be used in the decomposition of sludge and human urine. In a MFC there is an anode (for oxidation of organic compounds), cathode (reduction of oxygen or carbon dioxide), and a proton exchange membrane (PEM, allows protons to migrate); reduction-oxidation reactions between the anode and cathode produce a measurable current. Bacteria that are found in sludge can be used to produce electrons in a voltaic cell, but optimizing conditions for harnessing the energy is crucial to making a MFC efficient. Research has shown that the ratios of …

Computational Prediction Of The Sporulation Network In Clostridium Thermocellum, Changyi Jiang

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

Sporulation is a process in which some bacteria divide asymmetrically to form tough protective endospores, which help them to survive in a hazardous environment for a quite long time. The factors which can trigger this process are diverse. Heat, radiation, chemicals and lacking of nutrition can all lead to the formation of endospores. This phenomenon will lead to low productivity during industrial production. However, the sporulation mechanism in a spore-forming bacterium, Clostridium theromcellum, is still unclear. Therefore, if a regulation network of sporulation can be built, we may figure out ways to inhibit this process. In this study, a …

Influence Of Surface Modification On Properties And Applications Of Complex Engineered Nanoparticles, Binghui Wang

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Complex engineered nanoparticles (CENPs) are being used on various applications. Their properties are different from those of neat nanoparticles. The dissertation explores these differences from four aspects: 1) Modify carbon nanomaterials’ inert surfaces and investigate the effect on thermal and rheological behavior of their dispersions; 2) Generate self-assembly bi-layer structure of oxide nanoparticles via surface modification; 3) Study interaction between lysozyme and different surface-charged ceria nanoparticles; 4) Investigate the biodistribution and transformations of CENPs in biological media.

An environment-friendly surface modification was developed to modify surfaces of carbon nanomaterials for increasing their affinity to non-polar fluid. It can offset formation …

Assessment Of A Modified Double Agar Layer Method To Detect Bacteriophage For Assessing The Potential Of Wastewater Reuse In Rural Bolivia, Sakira N. Hadley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Water scarcity is a global concern that impacts many developing countries, forcing people to depend on unclean water sources for domestic, agricultural, and industrial needs. Wastewater is an alternative water source that contains nutrients needed for crop growth. Wastewater reuse for agriculture can cause public health problems because of human exposure to pathogens. Pathogen monitoring is essential to evaluate the compliance of wastewater with established World Health Organization (WHO) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wastewater reuse guidelines. Indicator organisms are commonly used to detect pathogens in water and wastewater because they are quick and easy to measure, non-pathogenic, and …

Fabricating And Characterizing Physical Properties Of Electrospun Polypeptide-Based Nanofibers, Dhan Bahadur Khadka

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation has aimed to fabricate polypeptide based biomaterial and characterize physical properties. Electrospinning is used as a tool for the sample fabrication. Project focused on determining the feasibility of electrospinning of certain synthetic polypeptides and certain elastin-like peptides from aqueous feedstocks and to characterize physical properties of polymer aqueous solution, cast film and spun fibers and fiber mats. The research involves peptide design, polymer electrospinning, fibers crosslinking, determining the extent of crosslinking, fibers protease degradation study, fibers stability and self-organization analysis, structure and composition determination by various spectroscopy and microscopy techniques and characterization of mechanical properties of individual suspended …

Evaluation Of A Pilot Land-Based Marine Integrated Aquaculture System, Suzanne Boxman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) produce aquaculture products on land with minimal discharge of waste products and minimal water loss. High costs associated with waste treatment for RAS have triggered the growth of integrated aquaculture systems (IAS) which incorporate macrophytes (aquatic plants) into the treatment train. The objective of this research was to examine a pilot scale inland marine IAS with three different methods for solids treatment: a sand filter followed by a plant bed, only a plant bed, and geotextile bags. Florida Pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) were grown along with Smooth Cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora), Black Needle Rush …

Ultrasound For Improved Crystallisation In Food Processing, N. Misra, Navneet Deora, Brijesh Tiwari, Patrick J. Cullen

Articles

Within the food industry, controlling crystallisation is a key factor governing food structure, texture and consumer appeal, with some foods requiring the promotion of crystallisation in a controlled manner (e.g. chocolate) and others a check (e.g. in honey). Sonocrystallisation is the application of ultrasound energy to control the nucleation of a crystallisation process. The use of power ultrasound provides a non-invasive approach to producing crystals with desired properties. Sonocrystallisation facilitates process control, primarily by modulating crystal size distribution and morphology. This paper details the governing mechanisms of sonocrystallisation. Proven and potential applications of the process in foods, including chocolates, honey, …

Role Of Epidermal Growth Factor-Triggered Pi3k/Akt Signaling In The Migration Of Medulloblastoma-Derived Cells, Veronica Dudu, Richard A. Able, Jr., Veronica Rotari, Qingjun Kong, Maribel Vazquez

Publications and Research

Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common brain cancer diagnosed among children. The cellular pathways that regulate MB invasion in response to environmental cues remain incompletely understood. Herein, we examine the migratory response of human MB-derived Daoy cells to different concentration profiles of Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) using a microfluidic system. Our findings provide the first quantitative evidence that EGF concentration gradients modulate the chemotaxis of MB-derived cells in a dose-dependent manner via the EGF receptor (EGF-R). Data illustrates that higher concentration gradients caused increased number of cells to migrate. In addition, our results show that EGF-induced receptor phosphorylation triggered the …

Spatial Patterns Of Mercury In Atmospheric Deposition, Soils And Lake Biota In The Adirondack Park, New York, Xue Yu

Civil and Environmental Engineering - Dissertations

Mercury (Hg), as a trace element cycling in the environment, poses a serious health threat to both humans and wildlife due to its toxicity. Atmospheric deposition is the main source of Hg to most remote environments. The Adirondack Park in New York State of the United States receives moderate Hg deposition, and is a region characterized by relatively high concentrations of Hg in the terrestrial and especially aquatic biota. It is important to understand the mechanisms that contribute to the sensitivity of this region to Hg inputs. In my research, studies of the spatial patterns of Hg in atmospheric deposition, …

Capillary And Microchip Electrophoresis For The Monitoring Of Disease Causing Amyloid Proteins, Elizabeth Nancy Pryor

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The detection of oligomers and aggregates formed by two amyloid proteins, insulin and amyloid-beta (AB), is of particular importance due to the role which these species play in Diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, respectively. However, existing techniques are limited in the ability to detect insulin and AB; oligomers due to the fact that these early aggregates are transient, present at low concentrations, and difficult to isolate. Improvements must be made to existing techniques or alternative techniques must be explored in order to identify and quantify the size of these oligomeric and aggregate species without disrupting their structure.

Capillary and microchip electrophoresis …

Low Cost Neurochairs, Frankie Pike

Master's Theses

Electroencephalography (EEG) was formerly confined to clinical and research settings with the necessary hardware costing thousands of dollars. In the last five years a number of companies have produced simple electroencephalograms, priced below $300 and available direct to consumers. These have stirred the imaginations of enthusiasts and brought the prospects of "thought-controlled" devices ever closer to reality. While these new devices were largely targeted at video games and toys, active research on enabling people suffering from debilitating diseases to control wheelchairs was being pursued. A number of neurochairs have come to fruition offering a truly hands-free mobility solution, but whether …

Complex Of Myoglobin With Phenol Bound In A Proximal Cavity, Xiao Huang, Chunxue Wang, Lesa R. Celeste, Leslie L. Lovelace, Shengfang Sun, John H. Dawson, Lukasz Lebioda

Faculty Publications

Sperm whale myoglobin (Mb) has weak dehaloperoxidase activity and catalyzes the peroxidative dehalogenation of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP) to 2,6-dichloroquinone. Crystals of Mb and of its more active G65T variant were used to study the binding of TCP, 4-iodophenol (4-IP) and phenol. The structures of crystals soaked overnight in a 10 mM solution of phenol revealed that a phenol molecule binds in the proximal cavity, forming a hydrogen bond to the hydroxyl of Tyr146 and hydrophobic contacts which include interactions with C and C of the proximal histidine His93. The phenol position corresponds to the strongest xenon binding site, Xe1. It …

Inactivation Of Bacterial Opportunistic Skin Pathogens By Nonthermal Dc-Operated Afterglow Atmospheric Plasma, L. C. Heller, C. M. Edelblute, A. M. Mattson, X. Hao, J. F. Kolb

Bioelectrics Publications

AIMS: Multidrug-resistant opportunistic pathogens are clinically significant and require the development of new antimicrobial methods. In this study, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus cells were exposed to atmospheric plasma on agar plates and in vitro on porcine skin for the purpose of testing bacterial inactivation.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Microbial inactivation at varying exposure durations was tested using a nonthermal plasma jet generated with a DC voltage from ambient air. The observed reduction in colony forming units was quantified as log₁₀ reductions.

CONCLUSIONS: Direct plasma exposure significantly inactivated seeded bacterial cells by approx. 6 log_{10 …}

Lonomics Atlas: A Tool To Explore Interconnected Ionomic, Genomic And Environmental Data, Eduard Dragut, Amgad Madkour, Mohamed Nabeel, Peter Baker, Mourad Ouzzani, David Salt

Cyber Center Publications

Ionomics Atlas facilitates access, analysis and interpretation of an existing large-scale heterogeneous dataset consisting of ionomic (elemental composition of an organism), ge- netic (heritable changes in the DNA of an organism) and ge- ographic information (geographic location, altitude, climate, soil properties, etc). Ionomics Atlas allows connections to be made between the genetic regulation of the ionome of plant populations and their landscape distribution, allowing scientists to investigate the role of natural ionomic variation in adaptation of populations to varied environmental conditions in the landscape. The goal of the Ionomics Atlas is twofold: (1) to allow both novice and expert users …

Computational Model Of Neuron-Astrocyte Interputational Model Of Neuron-Astrocyte Interactions During Focal Seizure Generationactions During Focal Seizure Generation, Davide Reato, Mario Cammarota, Lucas C. Parra, Giorgio Carmignoto

Publications and Research

Empirical research in the last decade revealed that astrocytes can respond to neurotransmitters with Ca2+ elevations and generate feedback signals to neurons which modulate synaptic transmission and neuronal excitability. This discovery changed our basic understanding of brain function and provided new perspectives for how astrocytes can participate not only to information processing, but also to the genesis of brain disorders, such as epilepsy. Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures that can arise focally at restricted areas and propagate throughout the brain. Studies in brain slice models suggest that astrocytes contribute to epileptiform activity by increasing neuronal excitability …