Engineering Commons^™

A “Sprinkler” Vegetative Treatment System, Jason Gross, Chris G. Henry

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

Vegetative Treatment Systems have historically been a practice for the treatment and utilization of open lot livestock wastes. Use of these systems has been rejuvenated in recent years. A “sprinkler” vegetative treatment area (VTA) has been designed and developed as a proof of concept for addressing challenges experienced with small and medium Animal Feeding Operations. The focus of this paper is to report on the design, economics, challenges and the lessons learned on the development of this system. Cost data shows the cost of a “sprinkler” VTS to range between $31 to $63/head, compared to $51 to $170/head for a …

Sharing Distance Education Courses Among Universities, Leon Schmacher, Thomas Brumm, John Slocombe, Jack L. Schinstock

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

Four universities collaborated to develop mechanized systems management (agricultural systems management, agricultural systems technology, etc.) courses to be shared via distance education. Funded by a USDA Higher Education Challenge Grant, these undergraduate and graduate courses were initially offered to students at Iowa State University, Kansas State University, the University of Missouri, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This effort is affiliated with the Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance (Great Plains IDEA).

The objectives of this cooperative effort were to: (1) develop a collaborative, multi-state educational effort to add depth and breadth to each university’s instructional program in mechanized systems management; …

Discrimination Of Bacteria And Bacteriophages By Raman Spectroscopy And Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy, Lindsay J. Goeller, Mark R. Riley

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Detection of pathogenic organisms in the environment presents several challenges due to the high cost and long times typically required for identification and quantification. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based methods are often hindered by the presence of polymerase inhibiting compounds and so direct methods of quantification that do not require enrichment or amplification are being sought. This work presents an analysis of pathogen detection using Raman spectroscopy to identify and quantify microorganisms without drying. Confocal Raman measurements of the bacterium Escherichia coli and of two bacteriophages, MS2 and PRD1, were analyzed for characteristic peaks and to estimate detection limits using …

Introducing Journal Of Biological Engineering, Mark R. Riley

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Welcome to Journal of Biological Engineering (JBE), the flagship publication of the Institute of Biological Engineering. Biological Engineering is a new and unique discipline that encompasses a wide range of engineering theory and practice connected to and derived from biology. This emerging science-based engineering discipline and related applications are experiencing rapid growth. Prior to publication of JBE there is no refereed publication that encompasses the breadth and depth of biological engineering as a science- based discipline, rather than a collection of applications. Our goal in publishing JBE is to provide a forum for topics that address the foundational …

Biocompatibility Of Te–As–Se Glass Fibers For Cell-Based Bio-Optic Infrared Sensors, Allison A. Wilhelm, Pierre Lucas, Diana L. Derosa, Mark R. Riley

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The chemical stability and toxicity of Te–As–Se (TAS) infrared fibers are investigated. These fibers are used for biosensing applications that involve direct contact with live cultivated human cells. It is shown that TAS fibers exhibit a small oxidation layer after extended exposure to air. This layer is highly soluble in water and easily removed. However, the TAS glass itself is stable in water over several days. While oxidized fibers release arsenate ions, which result in toxic effects to the cells, fresh or washed fibers show no toxic effects. A good correlation is shown between surface etching and the disappearance of …

Subsurface Characterization Using Textural Features Extracted From Gpr Data, R. S. Freeland, Lameck O. Odhiambo

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Subsurface conditions can be non-intrusively mapped by observing and grouping patterns of similarity within ground-penetrating radar (GPR) profiles. We have observed that the intricate and often visually indiscernible textural variability found within a complex GPR image possesses important parameters that help delineate regions of similar subsurface characteristics. In this study, we therefore examined the feasibility of using textural features extracted from GPR data to automate subsurface characterization. The textural features were matched to a “fingerprint” database of previous subsurface classifications of GPR textural features and the corresponding physical probings of subsurface conditions. Four textural features (energy, contrast, entropy, and homogeneity) …

Analysis Of An Ion‐Selective Electrode Based Methodology For Integrated On‐The‐Go Mapping Of Soil Ph, Potassium, And Nitrate Contents, B. Sethuramasamyraja, V. I. Adamchuk, D. B. Marx, A. Dobermann, G. E. Meyer, D. D. Jones

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Knowledge of the spatial variation of soil attributes is critical for precision agriculture. On‐the‐go soil sensors have been able to provide relatively high mapping density while assessing this variation. A new ion‐selective electrode (ISE) based approach was developed and tested for simultaneous mapping of soil pH, residual nitrate (NO3 -), and soluble potassium (K+) contents. In this article, results of laboratory experiments investigating the effects of key measurement factors on ISE performance are presented. In addition to four different soils, these factors included: soil/water ratio (SWR), quality of water used for electrode rinsing (QWR) and for …

Protection With Recombinant Clostridium Botulinum C1 And D Binding Domain Subunit (Hc) Vaccines Against C And D Neurotoxins, Robert P. Webb, Theresa J. Smith, Patrick M. Wright, Vicki A. Montgomery, Michael M. Meagher, Leonard A. Smith

Michael Meagher Publications

Recombinant botulinum Hc (rBoNT Hc) vaccines for serotypes C1 and D were produced in the yeast Pichia pastoris and used to determine protection against four distinct BoNT C and D toxin subtypes. Mice were vaccinated with rBoNT/C1 Hc, rBoNT/D Hc, or with a combination of both vaccines and challenged with BoNT C1, D, C/D, or D/C toxin. Mice receiving monovalent vaccinations were partially or completely protected against homologous toxin and not protected against heterologous toxin. Bivalent vaccine candidates completely survived challenges from all toxins except D/C toxin. These results indicate the recombinant C1 and D Hc vaccines are not only …

Spatiotemporal Variations In Growing Season Exchanges Of Co2, H2o, And Sensible Heat In Agricultural Fields Of The Southern Great Plains, Marc L. Fischer, Dave P. Billesbach, Joseph A. Berry, William J. Riley, Margaret S. Torn

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Climate, vegetation cover, and management create finescale heterogeneity in unirrigated agricultural regions, with important but not well quantified consequences for spatial and temporal variations in surface CO2, water, and heat fluxes. Eddy covariance fluxes were measured in seven agricultural fields—comprising winter wheat, pasture, and sorghum—in the U.S. Southern Great Plains (SGP) during the 2001–03 growing seasons. Land cover was the dominant source of variation in surface fluxes, with 50%–100% differences between fields planted in winter–spring versus fields planted in summer. Interannual variation was driven mainly by precipitation, which varied more than twofold between years. Peak aboveground biomass and growing season …

Recasting Dilemma Zone Design As A Marginal Cost-Benefit Problem, Anuj Sharma, Darcy M. Bullock, Srinivas Peeta

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

One control objective at high-speed isolated intersections is to provide safe phase transition by minimizing the occurrence of high-speed vehicles in the dilemma zone before the phase is terminated. An upper limit for extending the green (maximum green time) is used to avoid an indefinite extension of the main-street green. Currently, the maximum green times are chosen by using engineering judgment. This approach does not explicitly consider the trade-offs between safety and delay and hence often results in both unsafe and inefficient performance at the intersection under medium to heavy traffic volumes. The dilemma problem is recast as one of …

Limitations Of Simultaneous Gap-Out Logic, Anuj Sharma, Darcy M. Bullock, Srinivas Peeta

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

The current practice of specifying simultaneous gap-out logic places constraints on signal controller logic. These constraints cannot be achieved under high traffic flow conditions, and degraded signal efficiency and dilemma zone protection often result. This study documents the phenomenon described above with set-back detectors at an instrumented intersection in Noblesville, Indiana, and characterizes the problem of dilemma zone protection as being traffic-volume dependent, a factor that should be carefully considered before the simultaneous gap-out logic is applied. Implementation of simultaneous gap-out logic led to max out ranging from 3.5% to 40% of cycles per hour during peak traffic flow periods …

Event-Based Data Collection For Generating Actuated Controller Performance Measures, Edward J. Smaglik, Anuj Sharma, Darcy M. Bullock, James R. Sturdevant, Gary Duncan

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Cycle-by-cycle data have been shown to be effective in the analysis of a signalized intersection with measures of effectiveness such as volume-to-capacity ratios, arrival type, and average vehicular delay. Currently, actuated traffic controllers are unable to store vehicle counts and vehicle occupancy in cycle-by-cycle bins, requiring extra equipment and personnel to collect data in these bins. The objective of this research was to develop an integrated general purpose data collection module that time stamps detector and phase state changes within a National Electrical Manufacturers Association actuated traffic signal controller and uses those data to provide quantitative graphs to assess arterial …

Vacuum Ultraviolet Optical Analysis Of Spin-Cast Chitosan Films Modified By Succinic Anhydride And Glycidyl Phenyl Ether, W. H. Nosal, D. W. Thompson, T. E. Tiwald, S. Sarkar, Anuradha Subramanian, John A. Woollam

John A. Woollam Publications

Optical properties of spin-cast chitosan films were determined in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) through visible regions of the spectrum using spectroscopic ellipsometry. The onset of absorption in the ultraviolet was determined for chitosan films modified with succinic anhydride (SA) and glycidyl phenyl ether (GPE). This absorption was accounted for by including Gaussian and Tauc– Lorentz shaped oscillators in the optical model. VUV through visible optical constants were determined for these modified films, as well as for immunoglobulin G (IgG) attached to GPE-modified samples. Several resonant oscillator structures exhibit greatly differing oscillator parameters for the as-deposited, as well as SA-and GPE-modified …

Energy And Environmental Contributions Of Corn-Ethanol, Adam Liska, Kenneth Cassman, Haishun Yang

Adam Liska Papers

Rapid development of regulatory mechanisms to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions requires that the biofuel industry employ standard methods to evaluate biofuel systems comprising both crop production systems and biorefineries. Biofuel systems associated with a variety of organic feedstocks have a range of performance capabilities, and recent life-cycle assessment studies of these different systems have used inconsistent methods, leading to confusion about biofuel energy efficiency and GHG mitigation. Hence, there is a critical need for well documented life-cycle metrics for consistent biofuel evaluation that are established and supported by a national or international governing body. Standardization of net energy and …

Ultrasonic Characterization Of Microstructure Evolution During Processing, Liyong Yang, Joseph A. Turner, Zheng Li

Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience: Faculty Publications

Many cold-working processes for polycrystalline metals cause alignment of the grains with a single symmetry axis. This type of microstructure is called fiber texture. The existence of a preferred orientation of the grains has a significant influence on the propagation and scattering of ultrasonic waves, which are often used for material inspection. Knowledge of the wave attenuation of such textured materials is of both theoretical and practical interest to nondestructive testing and materials characterization. In this article, the quantitative relations between fiber texture and wave attenuations of hexagonal crystals are presented. The texture is characterized by a Gaussian distribution function …

Wave Propagation In Nanofibers, Xiangfa Wu, Yuris A. Dzenis

Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience: Faculty Publications

Surface effect on the longitudinal and flexural wave propagation in straight nanofibers/nanowires is studied within the framework of continuum mechanics. Modified Euler-Bernoulli and Rayleigh-Love rod equations and modified Timoshenko beam equation were developed to take into account the surface effect. It was found that surface tension/stress plays appreciable influence on the wave propagation in nanofibers/nanowires at very small diameters. Wave dispersion relations were presented in closed form, and numerical calculations were performed to show the variation of the phase velocity with the wave number at varying surface property and fiber diameter. The given results can be used as the theoretical …

Evidence Of Long-Wavelength Collective Excitations In Magnetic Superlattices, Nikolay I. Polushkin, Steven A. Michalski, Lanping Yue, Roger D. Kirby

Materials Research Science and Engineering Center: Faculty Publications

We report on a mechanism of dynamic dipolar coupling in magnetic superlattices via long-wavelength nonevanescent fields. In the spin excitation spectra of our heterophase stripe structures, such interactions mediate a singlet ↔ doublet crossover in the frequency regime driven by the orientation of an external static field. This crossover is a new feature observed in collective behavior of superlattices, though there is some analogy of this phenomenon with birefringence taking place in optical superlattices. We envision applying the collective effects described here in microwave photonic devices.

Design And Implementation Of A Modular Wireless Sensor Network Sniffer, John C. Mceachen, Teo Hong Siang, Georgios Kirykos

United States Navy: Publications

We present the design and implementation of a wireless packet sniffing application focused on the communications of TinyOS-based sensor networks. This modular, multi-threaded application allows robust analysis of transmitted frames in an easily understood format similar to tcpdump. The underlying software framework is presented and details of the implementation are discussed. Finally, verification of the application is performed using a basic TinyOS application.

A Comparison Of Optimized Link State Routing With Traditional Ad-Hoc Routing Protocols, Pore Ghee Lye, John C. Mceachen

United States Navy: Publications

The performance of mobile ad-hoc networks (MANET) is related to the efficiency of the routing protocols in adapting to frequently changing network topology and link status. This paper addresses the issue by comparing the relative performance of three key ad-hoc routing protocols: Destination-sequenced Distance Vector (DSDV), Ad-hoc Ondemand Distance Vector (AODV) and Optimized Link State Routing (OLSR). The protocols are tested based on two scenarios, namely, tactical networks for ships and sensor-based network nodes. Four performance metrics were measured by varying the maximum speed of mobile hosts, network size and traffic load, to assess the routing capability and protocol efficiency. …

Single-Sided Crash Cushion System, John D. Reid, John R. Rohde, Dean L. Sicking

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering: Faculty Publications

A single-sided crash attenuation cushion system having an impact head and three stage energy absorption mechanism. The energy absorbing mechanism has a mandrel for deforming thin-walled tubes in a controlled collapse to absorb impact forces from a colliding vehicle. The third stage of the absorption mechanism includes an additional deformable compressible tube between the fixed-object hazard and the thin walled tubes.

Direct Sequence Modified Time Hopping Ppm Over Ultra Wideband S-V Channel, Peter Vial, Beata J. Wysocki, Tadeusz A. Wysocki

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications (to 2015)

A three position Pulse Position Modulation (PPM) scheme is proposed for a Direct Sequence Time Hopping Ultra Wideband wireless communication system. The channel is based on the Saleh-Valenzuela model. We show that by adapting the Space Time Spreading technique to use three pulse positions in a single input single output system representing -2,0,2 an improvement in Bit Error Rate is achieved compared to sending the same bits using two pulse positions only. In addition, the bit access rate is doubled as two bits can be successfully sent in the same time using our proposed system.

Acuta Enews December 2006, Vol. 35, No. 12

ACUTA Newsletters

In This Issue

From the President.................. Carmine Piscopo, Providence College

Board Report............... Riny Ledgerwood, San Diego State Univ., ACUTA Sec./Treasurer

DC Update.................. Jeanne Jansenius, Sewanee, The University of the South

FYI: Useful Information from the Campus...................... Student Monitor

Pumping Up PoE............................ GaryAudin, Delphi, Inc.

Site to See

Web Tip: Website Recognition Program........... Aaron Fuegrer, ACUTA Information Technology Manager

Info Links................. Randy Hayes, Univ. of Northern Iowa

Thanks to Exhibitors for 2006

Welcome New Member

Material Selection And Design Consideration For Moisture Damage Of Asphalt Pavement, Jamilla Emi Sudo Lutif, Yong-Rak Kim

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

An Energy Efficient Mac-Phy Approach To Support Distributed Source Coding In Wireless Sensor Network, Wei Wang, Dongming Peng, Honggang Wang, Hamid Sharif, Beata J. Wysocki, Tadeusz A. Wysocki

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications (to 2015)

Distributed Source Coding (DSC) based signal processing applications are ideal candidates for multirate transmissions in Wireless Sensor Network (WSN). In this paper, we propose a novel MAC-PHY approach in WSN to achieve energy efficiency using multirate desirable for the DSC based signal processing applications. Our approach is different from the common multirate research in link adaptation, the focus of which is to increase throughput based on rate adaptation derived from variable channel conditions. In the proposed approach, the redundant and inefficient communications are eliminated, yielding significant improvement of energy efficiency in WSN. Here, the minimum desirable transmission power can be …

Capacity Of Single-Radio Ad Hoc Networks For Handling High Bit-Rate Real-Time Internet Applications, Mehran Abolhasan, Tadeusz A. Wysocki, Daniel Franklin, Justin Lipman

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications (to 2015)

Until now, the main focus in ad hoc networking has been improving Routing and Medium Access Control (MAC) Strategies. As a result, a diverse range of routing and MAC protocols have been proposed. To evaluate these protocols, much of the existing research has been based on simulation scenarios which assume ideal channel conditions and low node and traffic densities. Therefore, despite a few studies which have shown the performance limitations of ad hoc networks theoretically, there has not been many simulation studies performed which investigate the performance of ad hoc networks under a high node and traffic density. This paper …

Effect Of Nb And C Additives On The Microstructures And Magnetic Properties Of Rapidly Solidified Sm-Co Alloys, S. Aich, Jeffrey E. Shield

Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience: Faculty Publications

Highly coercive Sm-Co-based permanent magnets have been achieved through simple modification of binary Sm_{12Co88 alloys with Nb, C or combined Nb and C at concentrations ranging from 1 to 10 atomic percent processed via rapid solidification. Melt spinning at 40 m/s resulted in the formation of the metastable TbCu7-type structure in all alloys. While the unalloyed, as-solidified Sm12Co88 alloy displayed a coercivity of 0.5 kOe, alloying additions resulted in a systematic and profound increase in coercivity. Nb additions resulted in as-solidified coercivities up to 9 kOe, C additions up to 37 kOe, and combined NbC …}

Krf Excimer Laser-Assisted Combustion-Flame Deposition Of Diamond Films, Y. X. Han, Hao Ling, Yongfeng Lu

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

Cobalt (Co) composition has detrimental effects on the deposition of diamond films on cemented tungsten carbide (WC-Co) substrates. It decreases adhesion of the deposited films to the substrates and causes a transformation of sp³-bonded diamond to sp²-bonded graphite. In this study, a KrF excimer laser with a wavelength of 248 nm, a pulse width of 23 ns, and a pulse energy range of 84–450 mJ was used in the combustion-flame method to improve the quality of the deposited diamond films. Scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray analysis, and Raman spectroscopy of the deposited films showed that …

Acuta Enews November 2006, Vol. 35, No. 11

ACUTA Newsletters

In This lssue

Legislative/Regulatory Scorecard tor 2006.............. Jeri A. Semer, CAE, ACUTA Executive Director

ACUTA Presents Open-Source lP Telephony Audio Seminar

Tech Talk: A Communications Method Respected by lts Peers.................. Kevin Tanzillo, Dux PR

DC Update............... Jeonne Jansenius, University of the South

FYI: Useful lnformation from the Campus................... Student Monitor

Board Report...................... Riny Ledgerwood, San Diego State Univ., ACUTA Sec./Treasurer

lT Disaster Recovery: Why Plan?.................. Mike Grunder, Vantage Technology

Web Tip: What's New?..................... Aaron Fuehrer, ACUTA lnformation Technology Manager

lnfo Links................... Randy Hayes, Univ. of Northern lowa

IEEE 10 Gb/s Ethernet Standards Approved. Hugo Draye, Fluke Networks (Reprinted from BICSI …

Department Of Biological Systems Engineering Newsletter, Issue 2, November 2006

BSE Department Magazine

Contents:
Visiting Scholar
Big changes in the BSE Computer Lab
From the Department Head
National Science Foundation Initiative Moving to Transform Water and Environment Research ByWayneWoldt
ASABE Awards
Nebraska Tractor Test Lab Welcomes New Director
Alumni News
August Graduation
College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Alumni Association (CASNRAA)
Hydrologic Studies in Prairie and Agricultural Watersheds: Gleanings from a Faculty Development Leave, by Dean E. Eisenhauer
Irrigation and Energy Conservation Field Day, by Suat Irmak
P3–Ten Years
Hall of Fame
Vegetative Treatment Systems Help Small Livestock Producers Control Animal Waste, by Kalee Olson
Ice Cream Social and Scholarship Recognition
Student …

Crumb Rubber In Performance-Graded Asphalt Binder, Wayne Jensen, Magdy Abdelrahman

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.