Biological Engineering Commons^™

Development Of Novel Microwave Cooking Model For Not-Ready-To Eat Foods, Sohan Birla, Krishnamoorthy Pitchai, Jeyamkondan Subbiah, David D. Jones

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

Recently safety of microwave cooked food has come under scrutiny because of recent outbreak and recalls associated with some of these not-ready-to-eat (NRTE) frozen foods. Heating uniformity of these foods is paramount in rendering the foods safe for consumption. Degree of uneven microwave heating is influenced by both microwave oven and characteristics of food load which decides the electric field distribution within the food load. Given the complexity of parameters, a computer model is always desirable to optimize heating uniformity by proper selection of food shape, proportions, plating, packaging selection and more. Earlier many researchers have made one or more …

Process Simulation Of Dilute Acid Pretreatment Of Coastal Bermudagrass For Bioethanol Production, Arthur Redding, Deepak R. Keshwani, Jay J. Cheng

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

Coastal bermudagrass is a promising lignocellulosic feedstock for bioethanol production. It is well suited for the Southeastern United States where it is currently grown for hay production and nutrient management in animal farming operations. Prior experiments have generated sugar and sugar degradation data from the dilute acid pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis of bermudagrass over a range of pretreatment conditions. Experimentally, the yield of total glucose and xylose was maximized at 93 % of the theoretical value for the pretreatment conditions 140 °C and 1.2 % sulfuric acid (w/w) for a residence time of 30 minutes. To explore further potential optimum …

Farm Tractor Rollover Protection: Why Simply Getting Rollover Protective Structures Installed On All Tractors Is Not Sufficient, Roger M. Hoy

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

In North America, agricultural is one of the most hazardous occupations, trailing only mining and construction in likelihood of experiencing a serious injury or fatality. Without quoting specific statistics, roughly one-half of the serious injuries experienced each year involve an agricultural tractor, and roughly one-half of the serious injuries involving tractors are rollovers. It is well established that when a tractor is equipped with a rollover protective structure (ROPS) and seatbelt, and both are utilized, serious injuries rarely, if ever occur, in the event of an overturn. In fact, tractor overturns are the leading cause of agricultural fatalities in the …

Switchgrass For Bioethanol And Other Value-Added Applications: A Review, Deepak R. Keshwani, Jay J. Cheng

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Switchgrass is a promising feedstock for value-added applications due to its high productivity, potentially low requirements for agricultural inputs and positive environmental impacts. The objective of this paper is to review published research on the conversion of switchgrass into bioethanol and other value-added products. Environmental benefits associated with switchgrass include the potential for carbon sequestration, nutrient recovery from runoff, soil remediation and provision of habitats for grassland birds. Pretreatment of switchgrass is required to improve the yields of fermentable sugars. Based on the type of pretreatment, glucose yields range from 70% to 90%, and xylose yields range from 70% to …

Plant Sterol And Policosanol Characterization Of Hexane Extracts From Grain Sorghum, Corn, And Their Ddgs, Caolina Leguizamón, Curtis L. Weller, Vicki L. Schlegel, Timothy P. Carr

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Plant sterols (PS) and policosanols (PC) have been attributed with plasma cholesterol-lowering properties in humans. Hexane extracts from grain sorghum, corn and their distillers dried grain with solubles (DDGS), an important co-product of ethanol production, contain these health promoting compounds, which could be used to develop health promoting dietary products. However, limited information is currently available regarding optimal methods of extraction and their influence on plant sterol or PC levels and compositions. Therefore, the objective of this study was to quantify lipids, particularly PS and PC extracted from grain sorghum and its DDGS using reflux and Soxtec methods. Corn and …

Thermal Degradation Kinetics Of Distillers Grains And Solubles In Nitrogen And Air, Lijun Wang, Ajay Kumar, Milford Hanna, Curtis L. Weller, D. D. Jones

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The pyrolysis and oxidation kinetics of distillers grains and solubles were determined using thermogravimetric analysis. The starting temperature of pyrolysis and oxidation of distillers grains and solubles increased with the increase of heating rate and initial moisture content. The pyrolysis and oxidation of distillers grains and solubles were completed at 650°C and 850°C, respectively, which were independent of the heating rate and the initial moisture content. The residual weights of distillers grains and solubles after pyrolysis and oxidation were 27.15% and 5.49% of the original dry mass of distillers grains and solubles. Thermogravimetrical analysis data was used to determine kinetic …

Indirect Land Use Emissions In The Life Cycle Of Biofuels: Regulations Vs. Science, Adam J. Liska, Richard K. Perrin

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Recent legislative mandates have been enacted at state and federal levels with the purpose of reducing life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation fuels. This legislation encourages the substitution of fossil fuels with “low-carbon” fuels. The burden is put on regulatory agencies to determine the GHG-intensity of various fuels, and those agencies naturally look to science for guidance. Even though much progress has been made in determining the direct life cycle emissions from the production of biofuels, the science underpinning the estimation of potentially significant emissions from indirect land use change (ILUC) is in its infancy. As legislation requires …

Sorghum Distillers Dried Grain Lipid Extract Increases Cholesterol Excretion And Decreases Plasma And Liver Cholesterol Concentration In Hamsters, Jia Tse Hoi, Curtis L. Weller, Vicki Schlegel, Susan L. Cuppett, Ji-Young Lee, Timothy P. Carr

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Grain sorghum is a rich source of phytochemicals. In this study, male hamsters were fed AIN-93M diets supplemented with a hexane-extractable lipid fraction from sorghum distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS). Diets contained 0.0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 5.0% (w/w) DDGS lipid extract. After 4 wk, the 5.0% DDGS lipids group had significantly lower plasma non-HDL cholesterol and liver esterified cholesterol concentration. Fecal neutral sterol (i.e., cholesterol) excretion was significantly higher in the 5.0% DDGS lipids group compared to the other treatments (66% higher compared to controls). Bile acid excretion was not affected by DDGS lipid intake. Fecal cholesterol excretion was …

Antiproliferation Properties Of Grain Sorghum Dry Distiller’S Grain Lipids In Caco-2 Cells, Richard Zbasnik, Timothy P. Carr, Curtis L. Weller, Keum Taek Hwang, Lijun Wang, Susan L. Cuppett, Vicki Schlegel

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Antiproliferative properties of lipids extracted from grain sorghum (GS) dry distiller’s grain (DDG) were analyzed to determine the feasibility of developing GS coproducts as a source for human health dietary ingredients. The lipid extract of GSDDG was delivered to human colon carcinoma (Caco-2) cells by solubilizing 0−1000 μg/mL of GS-DDG lipids in 100 μg/mL increments with micelles. A significant reduction in cell viability (25−50%) resulted at treatment levels of 400−1000 μg/mL GS-DDG lipids (p < 0.05). Alternatively, total protein levels of cells treated with 400, 500, and 600 μg/mL of GS-DDG lipid were not significantly different from the control, indicating cell growth during the treatment period. Total cell counts for the control were not significantly different from the GS-DDG lipid treated cells, but dead cell counts increased by 10% for the latter sample with a concomitant increase of the intercellular protein lactate dehydrogenase leakage (30−40%) in the medium. Preliminary analysis by the fluorescence-activated cell method (FACs) demonstrated that nonviable cells were in either the early apoptotic, late apoptotic, or necrotic stage post-treatment with 400, 500, and 600 μg/mL GS-DDG lipids. Physiochemical characterization of the GS-DDG lipids used for the antiproliferation study showed the presence of vitamin E (predominantly γ-tocopherol), triacylglycerides (predominantly linoleic acid), policosanols, aldehydes, and sterols (predominantly campesterol and stigmasterol), each of which or as synergistic/additive group of constituents may be responsible for the antiproliferative effect.

Bess: BIofuel ENergy SYstems SImulator: Life Cycle Energy & Emissions Analysis Model For Corn-Ethanol Biofuel Production Systems -- User’S Guide For The Bess Model, Adam Liska, Haishun Yang, Daniel T. Walters, Kenneth Cassman, Terry Klopfenstein, Galen Erickson, Virgil R. Bremer, Richard K. Koelsch, Dan Kenney, Patrick Tracy

Adam Liska Papers

The BESS model is a software tool to calculate the energy efficiency, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and natural resource requirements of corn–to-ethanol biofuel production systems. The model provides a “cradle-to-grave” analysis of the production life cycle of biofuels from the creation of material inputs to finished products, producing an inventory of distributed GHG emissions from fossil fuels and a few key indirect emissions in the production life cycle. The model parameters can be set by the user to achieve the highest accuracy in evaluating a single corn-ethanol biorefinery and its surrounding feedstock crop production zone. The model equations and summary …

Mathematical Modeling Of Growth Of Salmonella In Raw Ground Beef Under Isothermal Conditions From 10 To 45° C, Vijay K. Juneja, Martin Valenzuela Melendres, Lihan Huang, Jeyamkondan Subbiah, Harshavardhan Thippareddi

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to develop primary and secondary models to describe the growth of Salmonella in raw ground beef. Primary and secondary models can be integrated into a dynamic model that can predict the microbial growth under varying environmental conditions. Growth data of Salmonella at nine different isothermal conditions — 10,15, 20, 25, 28, 32, 35, 42, and 45 °C were first fitted into primary models, namely the logistic, modified Gompertz, Baranyi, and Huang models. Performances of these models were evaluated by using various statistical criteria, namely mean square error (MSE), pseudo-R², −2 log likelihood, …

Effect Of Timing Of A Deficit-Irrigation Allocation On Corn Evapotranspiration, Yield, Water Use Efficiency And Dry Mass, J. O. Payero, David D. Tarkalson, Suat Irmak, Don Davison, James L. Petersen

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Water regulations have decreased irrigation water supplies in Nebraska and some other areas of the USA Great Plains. When available water is not enough to meet crop water requirements during the entire growing cycle, it becomes critical to know the proper irrigation timing that would maximize yields and profits. This study evaluated the effect of timing of a deficit-irrigation allocation (150 mm) on crop evapotranspiration (ETc), yield, water use efficiency (WUE = yield/ETc), irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE = yield/irrigation), and dry mass (DM) of corn (Zea mays L.) irrigated with subsurface drip irrigation in the semiarid climate of …

A Modified Surface Energy Balance For Modeling Evapotranspiration And Canopy Resistance, Luis O. Lagos

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

A modified surface energy balance (SEB) model based on the Shuttleworth-Wallace and Choudhury-Monteith methods was developed to estimate evaporation from soil covered by crop residue, and transpiration from crop canopies. The model describes the energy balance and flux resistances for partially-vegetated and residue-covered surfaces. Physical and biochemical energy storage terms and lateral fluxes are neglected in the model. Net radiation is one of the inputs in the SEB model and provides the energy needed for soil evaporation, crop transpiration and heat transfer through the canopy, soil/residue surfaces and the atmosphere.

A sensitivity analysis of the SEB model parameters showed that …

Department Of Biological Systems Engineering Newsletter, Volume 4, Number 2, December 2008

BSE Department Magazine

Environmental Management Research
From the Department Head
Meet the Faculty
Alumni News
Comings and Goings
Alumna Profile
In Memoriam
Museum Hand-picked for HELP
Urban Water Quality
Summer Graduates
Distinguished Fellowship Awards
Partners in Pollution Prevention Interns
Quarter-scale Tractor Competition
Scholarships and Ice Cream
BSE faculty develop Odor Footprint Tool By Crystal Powers
Ethanol Co-product Storage and Utilization Conference, by John Hay
Biological Systems Engineering Department Hall of Fame: Don Eret and Ned Meier
International Symposium
Faculty and Staff News
University Service Awards
ASABE Annual Meeting

Monitoring Tissue Engineering Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Huihui Xu, Shadi F. Othman, Richard L. Magin

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Assessment of tissue regeneration is essential to optimize the stages of tissue engineering (cell proliferation, tissue development and implantation). Optical and X-ray imaging have been used in tissue engineering to provide useful information, but each has limitations: for example, poor depth penetration and radiation damage. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) largely overcomes these restrictions, exhibits high resolution (approximately 100 μm) and can be applied both in vitro and in vivo. Recently, MRI has been used in tissue engineering to generate spatial maps of tissue relaxation times (T₁, T₂), water diffusion coefficients, and the stiffness (shear moduli) of …

Extracellular Matrix Protein Orientation By Adsorption On Self-Assembled Monolayers Controls Nonviral Gene Delivery, Beth A. Duensing, Angela K. Pannier

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

To date, most efforts to understand and improve the efficiency of nonviral gene delivery have focused on altering the physicochemical properties of delivery systems and developing new delivery strategies. The importance of the cellular microenvironment in achieving successful nonviral gene transfer has not been thoroughly examined, though proteins of the extracellular matrix (ECM) mediate cell adhesion and serve to regulate cellular behavior that may, in turn, dictate the cellular responsiveness to nonviral gene delivery. Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of alkanethiols on gold were used to control adsorption of ECM molecules and thus control the architecture of the extracellular environment presented to …

Metabolic Engineering Of A Thermophilic Bacterium To Produce Ethanol At High Yield, A. Joe Shaw, Kara K. Podkaminer, Sunil G. Desai, John S. Bardsley, Stephen R. Rogers, Philip G. Thorne, David A. Hogsett, Lee R. Lynd

Dartmouth Scholarship

We report engineering Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum, a thermophilic anaerobic bacterium that ferments xylan and biomass-derived sugars, to produce ethanol at high yield. Knockout of genes involved in organic acid formation (acetate kinase, phosphate acetyltransferase, and L-lactate dehydrogenase) resulted in a strain able to produce ethanol as the only detectable organic product and substantial changes in electron flow relative to the wild type. Ethanol formation in the engineered strain (ALK2) utilizes pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase with electrons transferred from ferredoxin to NAD(P), a pathway different from that in previously described microbes with a homoethanol fermentation. The homoethanologenic phenotype was stable for >150 generations …

Department Of Biological Systems Engineering Newsletter, Volume 4, Number 1, August 2008

BSE Department Magazine

Contents:
New Biomedical Lab Makes Debut
From the Department Head
The Dean's List
Meet the Faculty
Alumni News
Student News
UCARE
Graduates
John Miller: A Success Story
Discover Your Career: Mechanized Systems Management
Alumnus Profile
Faculty and Staff News
Comings and Goings
Spreading the word about No-till

A Design Aid For Determining Width Of Filter Strips, Michael G. Dosskey, M. J. Helmers, Dean E. Eisenhauer

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Watershed planners need a tool for determining width of filter strips that is accurate enough for developing cost-effective site designs and easy enough to use for making quick determinations on a large number and variety of sites. This study employed the process-based Vegetative Filter Strip Model to evaluate the relationship between filter strip width and trap¬ping efficiency for sediment and water and to produce a design aid for use where specific water quality targets must be met. Model simulations illustrate that relatively narrow filter strips can have high impact in some situations, while in others even a modest impact cannot …

Preparing, Characterizing, On-Line Digital Image Processing Of Residence Time Distribution And Modeling Of Mechanical Properties Of Nanocomposite Foams, Siew-Yoong Lee

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

The objectives of this research were to prepare, characterize and to study the effects of organoclay and extrusion variables on the physical, mechanical, structural, thermal and functional properties of tapioca starch (TS)/poly(lactic acid) (PLA) nanocomposite foams. On-line digital imaging processing was used to determine residence time distribution (RTD). Adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) was used to model the mechanical properties of nanocomposite foams.

Four different organoclays (Cloisite 10A, 25A, 93A, 15A) were used to produce nanocomposite foams by melt-intercalation. The properties were characterized using Xray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetric, and Instron universal testing machine. The properties were …

Effects Of Narrow Grass Hedges On Nutrient Transport From Land Application Areas, John E. Gilley, Bahman Eghball, David B. Marx

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

The placement of stiff-stemmed grass hedges on the contour along a hill slope has been shown to decrease runoff nutrient transport. This study was conducted to measure the effectiveness of a narrow grass hedge in reducing runoff nutrient transport from plots with a range of soil nutrient values. Composted beef cattle manure was applied at dry weights of 0, 68, 105, 142, and 178 Mg ha^-1 to a silty clay loam soil and then incorporated by disking. Soil samples were collected 243 days later for analysis of water-soluble phosphorus (WSP), Bray and Kurtz No.1 phosphorus (Bray-1 P), NO_{3 …}

Nutrient And Microbial Transport From Feedlot Surfaces, John E. Gilley, Elaine D. Berry, Roger A. Eigenberg, David B. Marx, Bryan L. Woodbury

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

Nutrient and microbial transport by runoff may vary at different locations within a beef cattle feedlot. If the areas making the largest contributions to nutrient and microbial transport can be identified, it may be possible to institute site-specific management practices to reduce runoff nutrient and microbial transport. The objectives of this study were to: a) measure selected feedlot soil properties, and nutrient and microbial transport in runoff from various feedlot locations b) compare the effects of unconsolidated surface materials (USM) (loose manure pack) and consolidated subsurface materials (CSM) (compacted manure and underlying layers) on nutrient and microbial transport, and c) …

Methods To Prioritize Placement Of Riparian Buffers For Improved Water Quality, M. D. Tomer, Michael G. Dosskey, Michael R. Burkart, Matthew J. Helmers, Dean E. Eisenhauer

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Agroforestry buffers in riparian zones can improve stream water quality, provided they intercept and remove contaminants from surface runoff and/or shallow groundwater. Soils, topography, surficial geology, and hydrology determine the capability of forest buffers to intercept and treat these flows. This paper describes two landscape analysis techniques for identifying and mapping locations where agroforestry buffers can effectively improve water quality. One technique employs soil survey information to rank soil map units for how effectively a buffer, when sited on them, would trap sediment from adjacent cropped fields. Results allow soil map units to be compared for relative effectiveness of buffers …

The Effect Of Water Extracted Silibinin On Reactive Oxygen Species (Ros) Production Of Macrophages, Julie Abbott, Sunny Wallace, Ed Clausen, Danielle Carrier

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The world is actively looking for technology to produce sustainable liquid fuels to replace our reliance on petroleum-based fuels. Biomass can be converted either through the thermochemical or saccharification platforms into fuels such as ethanol or butanol. In addition to converting the biomass into liquid fuels, valuable phytochemicals can be extracted prior, during, or after the conversion. Extracting useful phytochemicals, as a part of the overall conversion of biomass to fuels, is included in the concept of the biobased biorefinery. However, the key to effectively and economically extract phytochemicals from biomass is the ability to couple the extraction to the …

Artificial Neural Network Estimation Of Soil Erosion And Nutrient Concentrations In Runoff From Land Application Areas, Minyoung Kim, John E. Gilley

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The transport of sediment and nutrients from land application areas is an environmental concern. New methods are needed for estimating soil and nutrient concentrations of runoff from cropland areas on which manure is applied. Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) trained with a backpropagation (BP) algorithm were used to estimate soil erosion, dissolved P (DP) and NH₄–N concentrations of runoff from a land application site near Lincoln, Nebraska, USA. Simulation results from ANN-derived models showed that the amount of soil eroded is positively correlated with rainfall and runoff. In addition, concentrations of DP and NH₄–N in overland flow …

Cellular Arrays (Us Patent Application), Angela K. Pannier, Eric A. Ariazi, V. Craig Jordan, Lonnie D. Shea

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The present invention relates to characterizing transcription within cells. In particular, the present invention provides transfected cell arrays (e.g., two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional arrays) and systems, kits and methods utilizing the same (e.g., for transcriptional activity characterization). Compositions and methods of the present invention find use in, among other things, research, drug discovery and clinical (e.g., diagnostic, preventative and therapeutic) applications.

Narrow Grass Hedge Effects On Nutrient Transport Following Compost Application, John E. Gilley, Bahman Eghball, David B. Marx

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The placement of stiff‐stemmed grass hedges on the contour along a hillslope has been shown to decrease nutrient transport in runoff. This study was conducted to measure the effectiveness of a narrow grass hedge in reducing runoff nutrient transport from plots with a range of soil nutrient values. Composted beef cattle manure was applied at dry weights of 0, 68, 105, 142, and 178 Mg ha^-1 to a silty clay loam soil and then incorporated by disking. Soil samples were collected 243 days later for analysis of water‐soluble phosphorus (WSP), Bray and Kurtz No. 1 phosphorus (Bray‐1 P), NO …

Aquatic Bacteria Removal Using Carbon Nanotubes, Suvish Melanta

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this project is to explore the functionality of carbon nanotubes as a bacterial removal method, specifically towards water-borne bacterial pathogens in wastewater by utilizing its unique magnetic and bacteria-binding properties. The general protocol set for this research follows five steps: 1) Preparation of wastewater media, 2) preparation of CNT culture, 3) preparation of reaction mixture with CNTs for bacterial binding, 4) magnetic separation of bacteria-bound-CNT clusters and, 5) assessment of supernatant. The CNTs effectively removed bacterial contaminants in the wastewater (10%, v/v) after the sand filtration process from the Paul R. Noland Wastewater Facility at Fayetteville, Arkansas. …

Computational Modeling Of Oxidative Stress: An Analysis Of Nad (P)H Effects On Nitric Oxide And Superoxide During Hypertension, Aaron Strobel

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Nitric oxide (NO) is inactivated in the human body when exposed to superoxide (O2 -). This reaction forms peroxynitrite (ONOO-). Superoxide is produced in the cardiac system by several different ways, including NAD(P)H oxidase. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) breaks down superoxide into oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. This prevents superoxide from reacting with nitric oxide and allows normal function to take place. Superoxide and peroxynitrite are main contributors to vascular disease in the human body, in particular hypertension. Experiments have shown that there was an increase of superoxide production in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) vs. age-matched Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) that were …

Developing Lcfs For Biofuels: Getting It Right For Corn Ethanol, Kenneth Cassman, Adam Liska

Adam Liska Papers

• Corn ethanol will be first to test the newly developed LCFS assessment methods; substantial amounts of other biofuels will come several years later

• Accurate valuation of direct-effect GHG emissions from corn ethanol is the foundation of the LCFS process; these affects vary with ethanol biorefinery type and corn feedstock supply

• Different reference GHG emissions values are needed for each major class of ethanol plants

• The BESS model provides the most up-to-date, scientifically sound estimate of corn-ethanol GHG emissions; can BESS and GREET reach agreement?

• Certification and compliance tools are also needed