Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Selected Physical Properties Of Jointed Goatgrass (Aegilops Cylindrica Host.), C. M. Hubbard, Curtis L. Weller, David D. Jones

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Selected physical properties of jointed goatgrass samples collected in western Nebraska and eastern Colorado were determined. Measured properties were spikelet dimensions (length 10.8 ± 0.35 mm; width 2.59 ± 0.25 mm), particle density (0.761 ± 0.016 g/m³), bulk density (351 ± 26.9 kg/m³), terminal velocity (301 ± 25.9 m/min), angle of repose (26.3 ± 0.286°), internal coefficient of friction (0.494 ± 0.007), and equilibrium moisture contents at 10% RH (6.56 ± 1.03% w.b.), 30% RH (7.43 ± 1.21% w.b.), 50% RH (9.01 ± 0.67% w.b.), 70% RH (11.89 ± 0.61% w.b.), and 90% RH (20.39 ± …

Monoclonal Antibody Assay And Kit For Detecting Metal Cations In Body Fluids, Randall R. Carlson, Jay S. Stout, Dwane E. Wylie, Fred W. Wagner, Malcolm Riddell

Biological Process Development Facility: Staff Publications

The invention provides method and kits for detecting a metallic cation in a sample of a body fluid. The preferred method and kits include the use of at least two different types of antibodies having different specificities. In the preferred method, the sample of body fluid can be contacted with an effective amount of a capture antibody specific for a naturally occurring polypeptide that can bind the metallic cation to form a first antigen-antibody complex. An effective amount of an antibody specific for an epitope on a metallic cation-naturally occurring polypeptide complex or an antibody specific for a metallic cation …

Effect Of Screw Configuration And Speed On Rtd And Expansion Of Rice Extrudate, Siew-Yoong Lee, Kathryn L. Mccarthy

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The influence of screw configuration and screw speed on the residence time distribution and product expansion was determined for rice meal processed in a corotating twin screw extruder. Screw speed had strong effect on the E(t)- and F(t)-diagrams, with the mean residence time varying inversely with screw speed from 206 s to 256 s. the F-diagram was modeled by the combination of perfect mixing and plug flow. the P estimates, which express the fraction of material in plug flow, varied inversely with screw speed from 0.41 to 0.55 for the operating conditions in this study. Both screw configuration and screw …

Grazing And Haying Effects On Runoff And Erosion From A Former Conservation Reserve Program Site, John E. Gilley, B. D. Patton, P. E. Nyren, J. R. Simanton

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Grazing and haying effects on runoff and erosion from a former Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) site near Streeter, North Dakota, were determined. Treatments included undisturbed CRP, twice-over rotational grazing, season-long grazing, haying, and burning. Runoff and erosion were measured from simulated rainfall which was applied to 3.7 x 10.7 m (12.0 X 35.1 ft) plots. Following an initial stabilization period, no significant difference in runoff or erosion was found between the season-long grazing and burned treatments. Use of the CRP site for grazing or haying resulted in a significant increase in runoff compared to leaving the area in an undisturbed …

Frequency Domain Image Analysis For Detecting Stress Cracks In Corn Kernels, Y. J. Han, Y. Feng, Curtis L. Weller

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

A corn kernel classification procedure was developed in the frequency domain using a two-dimensional Fourier Transform for inspection of stress cracks. Investigations were also conducted to define suitable conditions and optimum image resolution for viewing stress cracks in corn kernels using a computer vision system. A pre-processing procedure included contrast enhancement, edge enhancement, and kernel edge elimination to improve stress crack recognition. A Fast Fourier Transform algorithm was applied to the pre-processed images, and the transformation results were condensed into 33 feature signatures representing position or orientation invariant morphological features. A multivariate discriminant analysis and multiple regression analysis were used …

Development Of A Biologically Based Aerobic Composting Simulation Model, Dennis P. Stombaugh, Sue E. Nokes

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

A relatively simple dynamic model based on microbial process kinetics has been developed for aerobic composting. Differential equations describing microbial, substrate, and oxygen concentrations, as well as moisture and temperature profiles have been derived as a function of vessel size and aeration rate. Microbial biomass growth was described using Monod growth kinetics as a function of degradable substrate concentration, oxygen concentration, moisture content, and compost temperature. Facility and fan operating costs have been included to permit economic optimization of the process. Predicted results demonstrated the ability of the model to quantify and describe the influence of multiple interacting factors (temperature, …

Heat Curing Of Soy Protein Films, A. Gennadios, V. M. Ghorpade, Curtis L. Weller, M. A. Hanna

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Modification of soy protein film properties by heat-curing was studied. Glycerin-plasticized films were cast from alkaline aqueous solutions of soy protein isolate. Films were heated at 80 or 95°C for 2, 6, 14, or 24 h. Tensile strength (TS), elongation at break (E), moisture content (MC), water solubility (WS), water vapor permeability (WVP), and color of heated and control films were measured. Heated films had increased TS and +b (yellowness) Hunter color values and reduced E, MC, WS, and WVP values. These effects were enhanced as heating time and temperature increased.

Treatment Of Pentachlorophenol With Manganese Oxide Addition To Biotic And Abiotic Sediments, R. Petrie, J. E. Mclean, Ronald C. Sims

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Laboratory microcosms containing subsamples of a complex environmental sediment were used to evaluate the addition of oxidized manganese as the primary electron acceptor in the presence of pentachlorophenol (PCP) as the primary electron donor. Manganese oxide (MnO₂) particles were added to poisoned abiotic and non-poisoned biotic microcosms and incubated at 11°C in the presence of sediment samples that were shown capable of mineralizing PCP with indigenous microorganisms. Reduction in PCP concentration and production of reduced manganese was measured for both abiotic and biotic systems.

PCP was observed to be transformed most rapidly and to the greatest extent in …

Evaluation Of Biological Treatability Of Soil Contaminated With Manufactured Gas Plant Waste, J. S. Ginn, Ronald C. Sims, I. P. Murarka

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

The biological treatability of subsurface soil contaminated with manufactured gas plant (MGP) waste was evaluated. Mineralization assays incorporating ¹⁴C-phenanthrene were used to evaluate the biotransformation potential of indigenous microorganisms at the site. Multi-phase laboratory microcosms were used to evaluate the interphase transfer potential and chemical mass distribution of phenanthrene. The Microtox™ bioassay was used to evaluate detoxification trends at the site. Mineralization results indicated that indigenous microorganisms at the site were capable of transforming phenanthrene, a component of coal-tar creosote. Results also indicated that spiked ¹⁴C-phenanthrene mineralization was influenced by nutrient addition and by the amount of contamination. …

Mn-Catalyzed Oxidation Of Multiple-Ringed Aromatics, G. Whelan, Ronald C. Sims

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

The role of manganese (Mn) oxides in catalyzing the abiotic oxidation of polynuclear aromatic compounds (PNAs) has been investigated by monitoring the oxidation of dihydrodiol and dione PNAs and corresponding reduction of Mn in an aqueous environment. 1,4-, 1,3-, and 2,3-naphthalenediol, 1,4-naphthoquinone, and l,4-dihydroxy-9,10-anthracenedione (Quinizarin) were oxidized in an oxic, aqueous environment, where each of these organic compounds is soluble in water, except Quinizarin. A mathematical model is presented, which describes the redox reactions, and suggests that electron transfer/organic release from the oxide surface is rate limiting with the reaction apparently proceeding through a free-radical formation. Results indicate significant oxidation …

Mn-Catalyzed Oxidation Of Naphthalenediol, G. Whelan, Ronald C. Sims

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

This study investigates the effects that manganese(IV) dioxide particles have on 2,3-naphthalenediol at varying pH levels (i.e., initial pH of 4.58, 5.85, and 8.75) and under different organic concentration conditions (4×¹⁰⁻³, 4×¹⁰⁻⁴, and 4×¹⁰⁻⁵ M), and assesses the importance of Mn oxides on abiotic catalysis of the multiple-ringed aromatic compound. Proton concentration affected the rates of reductive dissolution; as the pH values increased, the rate of reductive dissolution decreased, as predicted by theory. Also, as the concentration of naphthalenediol increased, the rate of reductive dissolution increased, although not proportionally; thus indicating that a majority of …

Random Roughness Assessment By The Pin And Chain Method, John E. Gilley, E. R. Kottwitz

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Surface microrelief is frequently characterized using random roughness factors (RRF) defined by Allmaras et al. (1966). Random roughness factors are usually measured using a pin roughness meter or laser. Saleh (1993) recently proposed the chain method as a relatively simple, fast, and inexpensive technique for characterizing surface microrelief. The chain method is based on the principle that as a chain of given length is placed across a surface, the horizontal distance covered by the chain will decrease as surface roughness increases. Reductions in chain length caused by surface roughness are described as Saleh roughness factors (SRF).
In this study, RRF …

Soy Protein Isolate/Poly(Ethylene Oxide) Films, V. M. Ghorpade, A. Gennadios, M. A. Hanna, Curtis L. Weller

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Films were prepared by casting and drying alkaline aqueous film-forming solutions of soy protein isolate (SPI). Four additional types of films were made by combining SPI with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) in SPI to PEO ratios of 19:1, 9:1, 4:1, and 1.5:1 (w/w). Glycerin was added to all film-forming solutions as a plasticizer at 60% of total solid weight. Addition of PEO decreased film tensile strength (TS) and increased elongation at break (E). TS values ranged from 1.4 to 3.9 MPa and E values ranged from 83 to 152%. Water vapor permeability of the films ranged from 3.0 x 10^{-9 …}

Thermomechanical Behavior Of Wheat Gluten Films: Effect Of Sucrose, Glycerin, And Sorbitol, George Cherian, Aristippos Gennadios, Curtis L. Weller, Pavinee Chinachoti

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Glass transition temperature (T_g) and mechanical and water vapor barrier properties of wheat gluten films containing glycerin, sucrose, glycerin-sucrose, and glycerin-sorbitol were studied. Glycerin and sucrose were immiscible; the wheat gluten film containing both solutes showed two separate thermal transitions (-58°C and -5°C, respectively). The low temperature (low-T) transition (-58°C) was due to a glycerin-rich region. The low-T tan δ peak height influenced the tensile strength and elongation linearly and the water vapor permeability (WVP) curvilinearly. However, the T_g failed to change with solute composition and exhibited low correlation with barrier and mechanical …

Darcy-Weisbach Roughness Coefficients For Surfaces With Residue And Gravel Cover, John E. Gilley, Eugene R. Kottwitz

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Several types of hydraulic resistance factors may be present on upland agricultural areas. It is not known whether roughness contributions from individual elements are additive or if interactions between resistance factors may occur. In this study, Darcy-Weisbach roughness coefficients were measured on surfaces containing corn-soybeans, sorghum-cotton, and sunflower-wheat residue in addition to gravel cover. Varying rates of flow were introduced into a flume in which residue and gravel materials were securely attached. Roughness coefficients were calculated from measurements of discharge rate and flow velocity for Reynolds number values varying from approximately 1,200 to 13,000. The laboratory data were then used …

Auger Design For Uniform Unloading Of Granular Material: I. Rectangular Cross-Section Containers, David D. Jones, Michael F. Kocher

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Design equations were developed for two auger configurations that for practical purposes generate uniform vertical flow of granular material through containers or boxes having a rectangular cross-section. Both configurations have uniform outside diameters so the simple geometry of the conventional U-trough housings could be used with these augers. One configuration had a uniform pitch for the auger flighting and decreasing inside diameter. The other had a uniform inside diameter and a decreasing pitch of the flighting with distance from the outlet end of the auger. Both configurations dramatically improved the uniformity of flow over the conventional auger. However, confidence intervals …

Corn Residue Cover On The Soil Surface After Planting For Various Tillage And Planting Systems, David P. Shelton, Elbert C. Dickey, Stephen D. Kachman, K.T. Fairbanks

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Crop residue left on the soil surface after planting is one of the most cost-effective soil erosion control practices, and is a primary component of the majority of conservation plan that have been developed to comply with the conservation provisions of the 1985 Food Security Act. However, from contacts in Extension meetings and demonstrations, it became apparent that formers frequently misunderstood certain aspects of crop residue management, particularly the effects that tillage and other operations had on residue cover. To help address some of these questions, we measured percent residue cover remaining on the soil surface after planting for 69 …

Does Junk Dna Regulate Gene Expression In Humans, M. A. Hulten, Michael W. Stacey, S. J. Armstrong

Bioelectrics Publications

No abstract provided.

Auger Design For Uniform Unloading Of Granular Material: Ii. Cylindrical Containers, Michael F. Kocher, David D. Jones

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The analysis presented can be used to determine the design equations for augers that produce uniform vertical flow of granular material through containers with cylindrical cross-sections. The augers so designed have a constant outside diameter and a variable root or shaft diameter. Installed in cylindrical grain bins they could be used to convert a batch-in-bin dryer to a continuous flow dryer. The analysis is an extension of the work of Jones and Kocher (1995) who designed and tested such an auger for containers of rectangular cross-section, and determined flow to be uniform for practical purposes. The analysis follows the same …

Hydraulic Conditions Required To Move Unanchored Residue Materials, John E. Gilley, E. R. Kottwitz, G. A. Wieman

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Hydraulic conditions required to initiate movement of unanchored residue materials are identified in the present study. Selected amounts of corn, cotton, pine needles, sorghum, soybean, sunflower, and wheat residue are placed in a flume on a sand surface, and flow is then introduced at the top of the flume in progressive increments. The discharge rate and flow velocity necessary to cause residue movement are determined. The ratio of critical flow depth to residue diameter, critical Reynolds number, critical shear stress, dimensionless shear stress, and boundary Reynolds number are calculated from hydraulic measurements. Regression equations are developed to relate dimensionless shear …

Maximum Surface Storage Provided By Crop Residue, John E. Gilley, Eugene R. Kottwitz

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Small ponds created by crop residue serve to store water on upland areas. The present study is conducted to identify the maximum surface storage provided by crop residue. Equations for estimating surface storage are derived assuming that residue elements were oriented end to end, at uniform intervals, in a direction perpendicular to flow. Separate equations are developed for conditions where average slope was greater than or equal to residue cover, or less than residue cover. Both equations relate average surface-storage depth to residue cover, residue diameter, and average slope. Data to test the reliability of the equations are obtained in …

Moisture Adsorption By Grain Protein Films, A. Gennadios, Curtis L. Weller

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Grain protein films plasticized with glycerol were prepared from corn zein (CZ), wheat gluten (WG), and a 2.3:1 mixture of wheat gluten and soy protein isolate (WG/SPI). Moisture adsorption curves of the three types of protein films at 25° C and within an approximate water activity range of 0.11 to 0.84 were obtained using a static gravimetric method. The Smith, Oswin, Halsey, and Guggenheim-Anderson-de Boer (GAB) models were applied to collected data. For all protein films, the GAB model showed the best fit over the entire studied water activity range yielding mean deviation modulus values (P) of 4.69, 3.44, and …

Water Vapor Permeability And Mechanical Properties Of Grain Protein-Based Films As Effected By Mixtures Of Polyethylene Glycol Amd Glycerin Plasticizers, H. J. Park, J. M. Bunn, Curtis L. Weller, P. J. Vergano, R. F. Testin

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Grain protein-based films containing mixtures of glycerin and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as plasticizers were prepared and evaluated for water vapor permeability (WVP), tensile strength (TS), and elongation (E). Changes in mechanical properties during storage were also studied. The PEG produced opposite trends in E of wheat gluten and corn-zein films. The TS of wheat gluten films increased and E of the films decreased as the ratio of glycerin/PEG decreased. Corn-zein films containing only glycerin were very brittle (E of 4%), and E of the films improved to 94% when the ratio of mL PEG/g protein was 0.39. The WVP of …

Long Term Tillage Effects On Grain Yield And Soil Properties In A Soybean/Grain Sorghum Rotation, Elbert C. Dickey, Paul J. Jasa, Robert Grisso

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

In Nebraska, early adopters of conservation tillage, especially those using no-till planting, had some concerns regarding planter performance, early season weed control, and possible yield reductions. Selected tillage and planting systems were used long term to evaluate effects on soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] and grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] yield, soil properties, and residue cover in a non-irrigated rotation. The six tillage and planting systems selected for evaluation were: no-till, no-till with row-crop cultivation, disk, double disk, chisel, and plow. In 1981, two sets of field plots were established near Lincoln, NE, on a Sharpsburg silty …

Darcy-Weisbach Roughness Coefficients For Selected Crops, John E. Gilley, E. R. Kottwitz

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Total hydraulic resistance on an upland agricultural site may be influenced by several factors including standing vegetation. In this laboratory study, Darcy-Weisbach roughness coefficients were measured for corn, cotton, sorghum, soybeans, sunflower, and wheat vegetation. Experimental variables used in this investigation in addition to crop type included plant population, row spacing, row orientation, and flow rate. For some of the experimental tests, a single row of vegetation was oriented within a flume parallel to the principal flow direction. For the remainder of the tests, rows of vegetation were placed perpendicular to the flow using row spacings and plant populations recommended …

Tillage And Planting System, Stalk Chopper, And Knife Applicator Influences On Corn Residue Cover, David P. Shelton, Stephen D. Kachman, Elbert C. Dickey, K.T. Fairbanks, Paul J. Jasa

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Percent corn (Zea mays L.) residue cover remaining on the soil surface after planting was measured for 11 tillage and planting systems that included combinations of the use, and timing, of a stalk chopper and/or a knife-type fertilizer applicator. Tillage, as well as use of a stalk chopper or knife applicator, significantly reduced residue cover. Only 27 of the 69 stalk chopper/knife applicator/tillage and planting system treatment combinations that were evaluated could be classified as conservation tillage by having at least 30% residue cover remaining after planting.

Hycrest Crested Wheatgrass Accelerates The Degradation Of Pentachlorophenol In Soil, A. Ferro, Ronald C. Sims, B. Bugbee

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

We investigated the effects of vegetation on the fate of pentachlorophenol (PCP) in soil using a novel high-flow sealed test system. Pentachlorophenol has been widely used as a wood preservative, and this highly toxic biocide contaminates soil and ground water at many sites. Although plants are known to accelerate the rates of degradation of certain soil contaminants, this approach has not been thoroughly investigated for PCP. The fate of [14C]PCP, added to soil at a concentration of 100 mg/kg, was compared in three unplanted and three planted systems. The plant used was Hycrest, a perennial, drought-tolerant cultivar of crested wheatgrass …

Closure To "Darcy-Weisbach Roughness Coefficients For Gravel And Cobble Surface", John E. Gilley, Eugene R. Kottwitz, Gary A. Wieman

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The writers appreciate the interest expressed by the discussers in this manuscript, and are pleased to have the opportunity to further discuss this material. The discussion states that the writers have generally examined a condition already investigated in other previous studies. Reynolds number values and roughness element size for the articles referenced by the discussers are shown in Table 5. Since flow rate and Reynolds number values were not given by Ferro and Giordano (1991), data from this study are not included in Table 5.
It can be seen from Table 5 that the roughness element sizes examined by Bathurst …

Analysis Of Cutthroat Flume Discharge Ratings, Liyan Ren

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Sixteeen sets of original laboratory data collected by many investigators for various Cutthroat flume sizes are thoroughly reviewed and organized. Best-fit discharge parameters are obtained by performing the free-flow analysis and the submerged-flow analysis. Then, the transition submergence can be calculated. Afterwards, the unified free-flow and submerged-flow discharge parameters are developed for each flume size in order to generalize the calibrations for Cutthroat flumes. This is a very tedious process requiring a trial-and-error approach. Finally, comparisons are made of the measured laboratory discharges with the predicted discharges for both free flow and submerged flow using both the best-fit and the …

Simulated Thermal Performance Of A Solar Heated Floor, Michael F. Kocher, James A. Deshazer, Gerald R. Bodman

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

A low cost, simple solar heating system consisting of an active collector with an In-Floor Heat Distribution and Storage (IFHDS) system was developed in response to the energy crisis of the 1970s. A two-dimensional finite difference model was developed and used to simulate the performance of IFHDS system cross-sections. Simulation runs were conducted with a steady-periodic model for the temperature of the solar-heated air in the IFHDS system cross-section. The steady periodic simulation results indicated IFHDS system energy efficiency increases with decreasing air temperature in the room above the IFHDS system, peak temperature of the solar-heated air in the IFHDS …