Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering Commons^™

A Comprehensive Dosimetric Study On Switching From A Type-B To A Type-C Dose Algorithm For Modern Lung Sbrt, Christina Zhou, Nathan Bennion, Rongtao Ma, Xiaoying Liang, Shuo Wang, Kristina Zvolanek, Megan Hyun, Xiaobo Li, Sumin Zhou, Weining Zhen, Chi Lin, Andrew Wahl, Dandan Zheng

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Background: Type-C dose algorithms provide more accurate dosimetry for lung SBRT treatment planning. However, because current dosimetric protocols were developed based on conventional algorithms, its applicability for the new generation algorithms needs to be determined. Previous studies on this issue used small sample sizes and reached discordant conclusions. Our study assessed dose calculation of a Type-C algorithm with current dosimetric protocols in a large patient cohort, in order to demonstrate the dosimetric impacts and necessary treatment planning steps of switching from a Type-B to a Type-C dose algorithm for lung SBRT planning.

Methods: Fifty-two lung SBRT patients were included, each …

Creation Of An Injectable In Situ Gelling Native Extracellular Matrix For Nucleus Pulposus Tissue Engineering, Rebecca A. Wachs, Ella N. Hoogenboezem, Hammad I. Huda, Shangjing Xin, Stacy L. Porvasnik, Christine E. Schmidt

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Background Context: Disc degeneration is the leading cause of low back pain and is often characterized by a loss of disc height, resulting from cleavage of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) present in the nucleus pulposus. Intact CSPGs are critical to water retention and maintenance of the nucleus osmotic pressure. Decellularization of healthy nucleus pulposus tissue has the potential to serve as an ideal matrix for tissue engineering of the disc because of the presence of native disc proteins and CSPGs. Injectable in situ gelling matrices are the most viable therapeutic option to prevent damage to the anulus fibrosus and future …

Tractor Power Take-Off Torque Measurement And Data Acquisition System, James Bw Roeber, Santosh Pitla, Roger M. Hoy, Joe D. Luck, Michael F. Kocher

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

With the mechanization of agricultural operations, agricultural machinery management has become an extensive research field. Sizing tractors and implements to provide the most efficient power transfer has become an ongoing process with advances in technology. Utilization of the rotational power transferred through gear trains from the tractor engine to the power take-off (PTO) shaft is one of the most efficient methods of power transfer to an implement. This research used commercially available torque sensors that were installed on a tractor PTO shaft for measuring the torque delivered to an implement. The torque sensor was calibrated using the Nebraska Tractor Test …

Chitosan-Zein Nano-In-Microparticles Capable Of Mediating In Vivo Transgene Expression Following Oral Delivery, Eric Farris, Deborah M. Brown, Amanda Ramer-Tait, Angela K. Pannier

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The oral route is an attractive delivery route for the administration of DNA-based therapeutics, specifically for applications in gene therapy and DNA vaccination. However, oral DNA delivery is complicated by the harsh and variable conditions encountered throughout gastrointestinal (GI) transit, leading to degradation of the delivery vector and DNA cargo, and subsequent inefficient delivery to target cells. In this work, we demonstrate the development and optimization of a hybrid-dual particulate delivery system consisting of two natural biomaterials, zein (ZN) and chitosan (CS), to mediate oral DNA delivery. Chitosan-Zein Nano-in-Microparticles (CS-ZN-NIMs), consisting of core Chitosan/DNA nanoparticles (CS/DNA NPs) prepared by ionic …

A Case Study Of Field-Scale Maize Irrigation Patterns In Western Nebraska: Implications For Water Managers And Recommendations For Hyper-Resolution Land Surface Modeling, Justin P. Gibson, Trenton E. Franz, Tiejun Wang, John Gates, Patricio Grassini, Haishun Yang, Dean E. Eisenhauer

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

In many agricultural regions, the human use of water for irrigation is often ignored or poorly represented in land surface models (LSMs) and operational forecasts. Because irrigation increases soil moisture, feedback on the surface energy balance, rainfall recycling, and atmospheric dynamics is not represented and may lead to reduced model skill. In this work, we describe four plausible and relatively simple irrigation routines that can be coupled to the next generation of hyper-resolution LSMs operating at scales of 1 km or less. The irrigation output from the four routines (crop model, precipitation delayed, evapotranspiration replacement, and vadose zone model) is …

Crop Classification And Lai Estimation Using Original And Resolution-Reduced Images From Two Consumer-Grade Cameras, Jian Zhang, Chenghai Yang, Biquan Zhao, Huaibo Song, Wesley Clint Hoffmann, Yeyin Shi, Dongyan Zhang, Guozhong Zhang

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Consumer-grade cameras are being increasingly used for remote sensing applications in recent years. However, the performance of this type of cameras has not been systematically tested and well documented in the literature. The objective of this research was to evaluate the performance of original and resolution-reduced images taken from two consumer-grade cameras, a RGB camera and a modified near-infrared (NIR) camera, for crop identification and leaf area index (LAI) estimation. Airborne RGB and NIR images taken over a 6.5-square-km cropping area were mosaicked and aligned to create a four-band mosaic with a spatial resolution of 0.4 m. The spatial resolution …

Nanoparticle For Targeting Brain Tumors And Delivery Of O6 - Benzylguanine, University Of Washington, Seattle

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Nanoparticle having a crosslinked chitosan - polyethylene oxide oligomer copolymer coating to which O⁶ - benzylgua nine is covalently coupled , compositions that include the nanoparticle , and methods for using the nanoparticle to treat brain cancers .

Evaluation Of Valiantzas’ Simplified Forms Of The Fao-56 Penman-Monteith Reference Evapotranspiration Model In A Humid Climate, Koffi Djaman, Daran Rudnick, Valere C. Mel, Denis Mutiibwa, Lamine Diop, Mamadou Sall, Isa Kabenge, Ansoumana Bodian, Hossein Tabari, Suat Irmak

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The unavailability of some meteorological variables, especially solar radiation and wind speed, is the main constraint for reference evapotranspiration (ETo) estimation using the standard United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Penman–Monteith (FAO-PM) equation in most developing countries. The application of ETo methods with fewer input requirements is necessary under limited climatic data conditions. The FAO-PM method under limited data conditions and nine of Valiantzas’ equations were evaluated for daily ETo estimation in a humid climate in Uganda. The FAO-PM method with missing relative humidity data performed very well across Uganda, whereas using the long-term local wind speed average values …

Crop Canopy Sensor Orientation For Late Season Nitrogen Determination In Corn, T. M. Shaver, Greg Kruger, Daran Rudnick

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Increasing nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in irrigated corn production is of great importance to overall agricultural sustainability. Studies have shown that crop canopy sensors can aid in this pursuit as they allow for the determination of nitrogen (N) requirements in split applications later in the growing season. Fertigation can also increase NUE as many split applications can be conducted. If crop canopy sensors could be used to direct N fertigation rates, overall NUE may be increased even further. However, in some cases, N differences may need to be determined later in the growing season after corn has tasseled, which can …

Spatial And Temporal Changes In Maize And Soybean Grain Yield, Precipitation Use Efficiency, And Crop Water Productivity In The U.S. Great Plains, Meetpal S. Kukal, S. Irmak

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Sustainable agricultural utilization of the limited water resources demands improvements in understanding the changes in crop water productivity (CWP) in space and time, which is often presented as a potential solution to relieve the growing pressure on fresh water resources. In addition, crop yield needs to be studied in relation to precipitation received annually and during the growing season for its contribution to reduce irrigation water requirements, which is quantified through precipitation use efficiency (PUE). Hence, systematic quantifications, mapping, and analyses of large-scale CWP and PUE levels are needed. This study aims to quantify long-term (1982-2013) information on grain yield, …

In Vitro Porcine Blastocyst Development In Three-Dimensional Alginate Hydrogels, Jeremy R. Miles, Taylor D. Laughlin, Catherine Sargus-Patino, Angela K. Pannier

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Appropriate embryonic and fetal development significantly impact pregnancy success and, therefore, the efficiency of swine production. The pre-implantation period of porcine pregnancy is characterized by several developmental hallmarks, which are initiated by the dramatic morphological change that occurs as pig blastocysts elongate from spherical to filamentous blastocysts. Deficiencies in blastocyst elongation contribute to approximately 20% of embryonic loss, and have a direct influence on within-litter birth weight variation. Although factors identified within the uterine environment may play a role in blastocyst elongation, little is known about the exact mechanisms by which porcine (or other species’) blastocysts initiate and progress through …

Laboratory And Full Boom-Based Investigation Of Nozzle Setup Error Effects On Flow, Pressure, And Spray Pattern Distribution, Shane H. Forney, Joe D. Luck, Michael F. Kocher, Santosh Pitla

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Pesticide application is an integral part of crop production, and ground-based agricultural boom sprayers are used extensively to apply pesticides to the crop canopy or soil surface across millions of acres in the United States. Efficient application is necessary to minimize costs and limit adverse environmental impacts. The goals of this study were to provide quantified measurements on the effects of nozzle setup errors on spray pattern uniformity and evaluate how laboratory patternator-based simulations would compare to measurements on a full spray boom. More specific objectives were to determine the effects of factors such as nozzle lateral angle, nozzle spacing, …

Tractor Power Take-Off Torque Measurement And Data Acquisition System, James B. W. Roeber, Santosh K. Pitla, R. M. Hoy, J. D. Luck, Michael F. Kocher

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

With the mechanization of agricultural operations, agricultural machinery management has become an extensive research field. Sizing tractors and implements to provide the most efficient power transfer has become an ongoing process with advances in technology. Utilization of the rotational power transferred through gear trains from the tractor engine to the power take-off (PTO) shaft is one of the most efficient methods of power transfer to an implement. This research used commercially available torque sensors that were installed on a tractor PTO shaft for measuring the torque delivered to an implement. The torque sensor was calibrated using the Nebraska Tractor Test …

Laboratory And Full Boom-Based Investigation Of Nozzle Setup Error Effects On Flow, Pressure, And Spray Pattern Distribution, S. H. Forney, J. D. Luck, Michael F. Kocher, Santosh K. Pitla

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Pesticide application is an integral part of crop production, and ground-based agricultural boom sprayers are used extensively to apply pesticides to the crop canopy or soil surface across millions of acres in the United States. Efficient application is necessary to minimize costs and limit adverse environmental impacts. The goals of this study were to provide quantified measurements on the effects of nozzle setup errors on spray pattern uniformity and evaluate how laboratory patternator-based simulations would compare to measurements on a full spray boom. More specific objectives were to determine the effects of factors such as nozzle lateral angle, nozzle spacing, …

Sugar Versus Lipid For Sustainable Biofuels, Yaşar Demirel

Yaşar Demirel Publications

Introduction

First‐generation biofuels, namely, ethanol and biodiesel, have led to far reaching impact on the peoples’ life world‐wide.[1] However, they inter-fere with the food supply chain and may not be sustainable although some of the biomass are converted to biofuels after those biomasses have met the human needs. Still, the first‐generation–based biofuels have proved that sugar and lipid platforms can be an answer to energy security and global warming concerns without the need for new infrastructure for feedstock delivery as well as for biomass‐to‐biofuel conversion tech-nologies. At the same time, we are discovering and assessing the long‐term environmental im-plications on …

Estimation And Utilization Of Landfill Gas From Egyptian Municipal Wastes, A Case Study, Ali Habib, Ahmed A. Abdel-Rehim

Mechanical Engineering

Purpose

As the first Author had the chance to invest in landfill gas plant (EL Hammam plant) that flare approximately 1000 m3/hr. to generate electricity. Two critical question must be answered in order to proceed with the feasibility study. The three questions are:

1. 1- How many years this landfill gas emission will last?

2. 2- How much energy can be generated from one million ton if landfilled?

3. 3- How much CO2 in tons will be saved during the project life time?

Methods: Experimental method is used to determine BMP (Biochemical methane potential) ton CH4/ton waste. With

results we can know the …