Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering Commons^™

Determination Of Vadose Zone And Saturated Zone Nitrate Lag Times Using Long-Term Groundwater Monitoring Data And Statistical Machine Learning, Martin J. Wells, Troy E. Gilmore, Natalie Nelson, John K. Bohlke

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

In this study, we explored the use of statistical machine learning and long-term groundwater nitrate monitoring data to estimate vadose zone and saturated zone lag times in an irrigated alluvial agricultural setting. Unlike most previous statistical machine learning studies that sought to predict groundwater nitrate concentrations within aquifers, the focus of this study was to leverage available groundwater nitrate concentrations and other environmental variables to determine mean regional vertical velocities (transport rates) of water and solutes in the vadose zone and saturated zone (3.50 and 3.75 m yr−1 , respectively). The statistical machine learning results are consistent with two primary …

Role Of Nadþ In Regulating Cellular And Metabolic Signaling Pathways, Sara Amjad, Sabah Nisar, Ajaz A. Bhat, Ab Rauf Shah, Michael P. Frenneaux, Khalid Fakhro, Mohammad Haris, Ravinder Reddy, Zoltan Patay, Joseph Baur, Puneet Bagga

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Background: Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺), a critical coenzyme present in every living cell, is involved in a myriad of metabolic processes associated with cellular bioenergetics. For this reason, NAD⁺ is often studied in the context of aging, cancer, and neurodegenerative and metabolic disorders.

Scope of review: Cellular NAD⁺ depletion is associated with compromised adaptive cellular stress responses, impaired neuronal plasticity, impaired DNA repair, and cellular senescence. Increasing evidence has shown the efficacy of boosting NAD⁺ levels using NAD⁺ precursors in various diseases. This review provides a comprehensive understanding into the role of NAD^{+ …}

Historical Contingency In Microbial Resilience To Hydrologic Perturbations, Hyun-Seob Song, James C. Stegen, Emily B. Graham, Timothy D. Scheibe

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Development of reliable biogeochemical models requires a mechanistic consideration of microbial interactions with hydrology. Microbial response to and its recovery after hydrologic perturbations (i.e., resilience) is a critical component to understand in this regard, but generally difficult to predict because the impacts of future events can be dependent on the history of perturbations (i.e., historical contingency). Fundamental issues underlying this phenomenon include how microbial resilience to hydrologic perturbations is influenced by historical contingency and how their relationships vary depending on the characteristics of microbial functions. To answer these questions, we considered a simple microbial community composed of two species that …

Effects Of Racing Surface And Turn Radius On Fatal Limb Fractures In Thoroughbred Racehorses, Michael L. Peterson, Wayne T. Sanderson, Nurlan Kussainov, Sarah Jane Hobbs, Patti Miles, Mary C. Scollay, Hilary M. Clayton

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

North American Thoroughbred racing is conducted on three types of surfaces—dirt, turf, and synthetic. The tracks are oval, and races are run counterclockwise. The loading on right and left limbs is expected to differ as a function of turn radius, banking, surface, and gait asymmetry. Hind limbs and forelimbs also have different functions related to propulsion and turning, respectively. This study uses the Equine Injury Database for race starts from 1 January 2009 through 31 December 2014, to compare injury rates across participating North American racetracks. The data are limited to catastrophic injuries in which horses died or were euthanized …

Common Unit Conversions For Irrigation, Dean E. Eisenhauer, Derrel L. Martin, Derek M. Heeren, Glenn J. Hoffman

Open Learning Resources, General/Selected

A fact sheet that includes common unit conversions for irrigation in international system of units (SI) and United States customary system of units (USCS).

Includes units for: length, area, volume, flow, weight and mass, pressure, crop yield, temperature, and the United States public land survey system.

Valorization Of Xylan In Agroforestry Waste Streams, Harrison Appiah

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Valorization of Xylan in Agroforestry Waste Streams.

Harrison Appiah

Microwave-assisted deep eutectic solvent and gamma-valerolactone metallic chloride catalyzed conversion of xylan to furfural were investigated using a 2x3 factorial experimental design at two levels of percent microwave power, reaction time, and catalyst concentration. The levels of each factor studied were (20%, 60% microwave power, 2, 4 minutes, and 10, 20mg) respectively. The effect of three metallic chloride catalysts (LiCl, FeCl3.6H20, CuCl2) on the conversion of xylan to furfural was also investigated. The gamma-valerolactone-ferric chloride sent system exhibited the highest mean yield of furfural (56.50%). The next highest furfural yield of …

Quantification Of Nitric Oxide Concentration Using Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Sensors, Jakob Meier, Joseph Stapleton, Eric M. Hofferber, Abigail Haworth, Stephen D. Kachman, Nicole M. Iverson

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Nitric oxide (NO), a free radical present in biological systems, can have many detrimental effects on the body, from inflammation to cancer. Due to NO’s short half-life, detection and quan- tification is difficult. The inability to quantify NO has hindered researchers’ understanding of its impact in healthy and diseased conditions. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), when wrapped in a specific single-stranded DNA chain, becomes selective to NO, creating a fluorescence sensor. Unfortunately, the correlation between NO concentration and the SWNT’s fluorescence intensity has been difficult to determine due to an inability to immobilize the sensor without altering its properties. Through the …

Modeling And Prioritizing Interventions Using Pollution Hotspots For Reducing Nutrients, Atrazine And E. Coli Concentrations In A Watershed, Olufemi P. Abimbola, Aaron R. Mittelstet, Tiffany Messer, Elaine Berry, Anna Van Griensven

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Excess nutrients and herbicides remain two major causes of waterbody impairment globally. In an attempt to better understand pollutant sources in the Big Sandy Creek Watershed (BSCW) and the prospects for successful remediation, a program was initiated to assist agricultural producers with the implementation of best management practices (BMPs). The objectives were to (1) simulate BMPs within hotspots to determine reductions in pollutant loads and (2) to determine if water-quality standards are met at the watershed outlet. Regression-based load estimator (LOADEST) was used for determining sediment, nutrient and atrazine loads, while artificial neural networks (ANN) were used for determining E. …

Antibiotic Resistance Genes In Swine Manure Slurry As Affected By Pit Additives And Facility Disinfectants, Maria C. Hall, Jon Duerschner, John E. Gilley, Amy Schmidt, Shannon Bartelt-Hunt, Daniel D. Snow, Kent M. Eskridge, Xu Li

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Manure storage facilities are critical control points to reduce antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in swine manure slurry before the slurry is land applied. However, little is known about how exogenous chemicals entering the manure storage facilities may affect the fate of ARGs. The objective of this study was to analyze the impact of six commonly used pit additives and four facility disinfectants on the concentration of ARGs in swine manure slurry. Bench scale reactors, each containing approximately 50 L of liquid swine manure, were dosed with additives or disinfectants and were sampled for 40 days. Seven antibiotic resistance genes along …

Differential Survival Of Non-O157 Shiga Toxigenic Escherichia Coli In Simulated Cattle Feedlot Runoff, Lisa M. Durso, John E. Gilley, Daniel N. Miller

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Environmental survival time is important when evaluating adverse health outcomes from foodborne pathogens. Although outbreaks associated with manure-impacted irrigation or runoff water are relatively infrequent, their broad scope, regulatory importance, and severe health outcomes highlight the need to better understand the environmental survival of manure-borne pathogens. Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) are excreted in feces and persist in the environment until they die or recolonize a new host. Surface waters contaminated with manure-borne STEC can infect humans through drinking and recreational water use or irrigated crops that are minimally cooked. In this study, manure-impacted water microcosms mimicking beef cattle feedlot …

Editorial: Predictive Modeling Of Human Microbiota And Their Role In Health And Disease, Hyun-Seob Song, Stephen R. Lindemann, Dong-Yup Lee

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Nanotheranostic Researcher’S Guide For Use Of Animal Models Of Traumatic Brain Injury, Brandon Z. Mcdonald, Connor C. Gee, Forrest M. Kievit

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is currently the leading cause of injury-related morbidity and mortality worldwide, with an estimated global cost of USD 400 billion annually. Both clinical and preclinical behavioral outcomes associated with TBI are heterogeneous in nature and influenced by the mechanism and frequency of injury. Previous literature has investigated this relationship through the development of animal models and behavioral tasks. However, recent advancements in these methods may provide insight into the translation of therapeutics into a clinical setting. In this review, we characterize various animal models and behavioral tasks to provide guidelines for evaluating the therapeutic efficacy of …

Frontier: Discipline-Based Education Research To Advance Authentic Learning In Agricultural And Biological Engineering, Heidi A. Diefes-Dux

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Discipline-based education research (DBER) is research activity aimed at investigating “learning and teaching in a discipline from a perspective that reflects the discipline’s priorities, worldview, knowledge, and practices” for the purpose of producing research-based evidence to improve education in that discipline. DBER arose out of concerns about the quality of post-secondary science education. Physics, chemistry, engineering, biology, geosciences, and astronomy education each have unique DBER histories in the U.S. that date back to the late 1800s or early 1900s when colleges and university systems were expanding and formalizing. The DBER fields accelerated in the 1950s and 1960s as a result …

Impact Of Preferential Flow, Source Water Connectivity, And Agricultural Management Practices On Sediment And Particulate Phosphorus Dynamics In Midwestern Tile-Drained Landscapes, Saeid Nazari

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Tile drainage is recognized as a significant transporter of sediment and particulate phosphorus (PP) in the Midwestern U.S., leading to proliferation of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). Numerous studies have focused on Dissolved Reactive Phosphorus (DRP) and Nitrogen (N) flux dynamics in tile-drained landscapes; however, the impact of preferential flow and agricultural management practices on fate and transport of sediment and PP has remained poorly understood. The overarching objective of this study was to improve understanding of sediment P delivery in tile-drained landscapes. This dissertation focuses on four studies. In the first study, forms and flow pathway dynamics of total phosphorus …

Modeling And Prioritizing Interventions Using Pollution Hotspots For Reducing Nutrients, Atrazine And E. Coli Concentrations In A Watershed, Olufemi Abimbola, Aaron Mittelstet, Tiffany L. Messer, Elaine Berry, Ann Van Griensven

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Excess nutrients and herbicides remain two major causes of waterbody impairment globally. In an attempt to better understand pollutant sources in the Big Sandy Creek Watershed (BSCW) and the prospects for successful remediation, a program was initiated to assist agricultural producers with the implementation of best management practices (BMPs). The objectives were to (1) simulate BMPs within hotspots to determine reductions in pollutant loads and (2) to determine if water-quality standards are met at the watershed outlet. Regression-based load estimator (LOADEST) was used for determining sediment, nutrient and atrazine loads, while artificial neural networks (ANN) were used for determining E. …

Develop Biochar-Based Controlled Release Nitrogen Fertilizers, Zhisheng Cen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current efficiency of conventional nitrogenous fertilizers (e.g. urea, ammonium sulfate, etc.) in agricultural practices is low, fluctuating from 30 to 40%. Approximately 60% of nitrogenous fertilizers were wasted due to vaporization into the air, runoff or leaching into water systems. The lost nitrogen (N) resulted in not only high production cost but also serious environmental problems, such as greenhouse gas (N2O) emission in the atmosphere, algal blooms, oxygen depletion, fish kills, and loss of biodiversity in surface water due to eutrophication or pollution. To address these problems, this study aimed to utilize low-cost biochar-based materials to develop a controllable, …

Nitrate And Phosphate Removal From Denitrification Bioreactors Using Woodchips, Steel Chips And Agricultural Residue Media, Abdoul Aziz Kouanda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nitrate and phosphate present in agricultural subsurface drainage water can impact surface water quality thus impacting the environment and human health by causing eutrophication and Methemoglobinemia in young infant. Biological denitrification and phosphate adsorption filters are treatments options that can help reduce nitrate and phosphate concentration from agricultural subsurface drainage before it can be discharged in surface water. The first objective of this dissertation was to determine the Michaelis-Menten kinetics model parameters for nitrate removal in bioreactors using the fresh, aged, and composted woodchips. The composted woodchips achieved a denitrification rate 2.4 times higher than the fresh woodchips which was …

Rational Design Of Advanced Functional Materials For Electrochemical Devices, Shun Lu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, there has been a fast-growing trend in developing urea (CO(NH2)2) as a substitute H2 carrier in energy conversion due to its high energy density, nontoxicity, stability, and nonflammability. Urea, a byproduct in the metabolism of proteins and a frequent contaminant in wastewater, is an abundant compound that has demonstrated favorable characteristics as a hydrogen-rich fuel source with 6.7 wt % gravimetric hydrogen content. Also, there is 2-2.5 wt % urea from mammal urine; therefore, 0.5 million ton of additional fuels will be produced per year just from human urine (240 million ton each year). Electrochemical oxidation has …

Long Term Evaluation Of E. Coli Removal From Stormwater Using Recycled Steel Byproducts, Brenden Olevson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Stormwater runoff often carries a variety of pollutants and pathogens that can endanger public health and wildlife. One contaminant of concern often highlighted in stormwater quality is Escherichia Coli (E.Coli) because its presence indicates microbial contamination in water. Different types of media filtration are being studied to reduce contaminant concentrations in stormwater. In this study, steel byproducts were examined as a potential material to use in media filtration to remove E. Coli and other contaminants from stormwater. Batch scale studies were conducted in laboratory to evaluate the E. Coli removal potential of steel chips and steel slag over a 24-hour …

Quantifying The Impacts Of Land Use, Management And Climate Change On Water Resources In Missouri River Basin, Arun Bawa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A location-specific evaluation of hydrological landscape responses concerning past and projected climate and land use land cover (LULC) changes can provide a powerful intellectual basis for developing efficient and profitable agroecosystems, and overcoming uncertain and detrimental consequences of LULC and climate shifts. This dissertation assessed the impacts of land use, management, and climate change on water resources in the Missouri River Basin (MRB) through four specific studies that included: (i) to study the responses of leached nutrient concentrations and soil health to winter rye cover crop (CC) under no-till corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotation, (ii) to …

Improved Biochar Based Controlled-Release Nitrogen Fertilizers For Sustainable Corn Production, Robiul Islam Rubel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is an essential factor to increase crop yield. When conventional nitrogen fertilizer (e.g. Urea, Ammonium Sulphate, etc.) is applied in the field, generally over 50% of the N of these fertilizers may lose into the air due to vaporization, or run-off and leaching in rivers and lakes. The N losses lead to not only low NUE but also serious environmental problems. The consequence of N losses results in insufficient N available to meet the demand of crop growth at the growing stages. Lack of sufficient N for crop growth puts a threat of nutrient deficiency and …

Evolution Of Three Streambanks Before And After Stabilization And Record Flooding, Matthew Russell, Aaron R. Mittelstet, Tiffany Messer, Jesse T. Korus, R.M. Joeckel

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Stabilization projects are increasingly used to mitigate the effects of anthropogenic streambank erosion, yet the effectiveness of stabilization has been insufficiently measured. Sound monitoring practices inform adjustments in implementation and maintenance, which improve engineered effectiveness. Thus, the objectives of this study were to: 1) measure streambank migration from in three reaches stabilized with wooden jetties following a major flooding event, and 2) quantify deposition around the jetties between pre-flood and post-flood. Streambank deposition was measured in 2019 with a River Surveyor and Global Positioning System (GPS). Bank erosion rates in Reaches 1, 2 and 3 were 0.41, 0.96 and 0.07 …

Quantifying The Source And Pathway Of Dissolved Reactive Phosphate In Karst Drainage Of The Inner-Bluegrass, Cory Radcliff

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

In the Midwestern U.S. seasonal hypoxia experienced in the Gulf of Mexico and harmful algal blooms in inland freshwater ponds, lakes, and rivers are partly fueled by dissolved orthophosphate loadings from disturbed landscapes. Efforts to reduce dissolved reactive phosphate (DRP) loadings have had varying levels of success and have led to insufficient water quality improvements. Inefficiencies in conservation strategies can stem from poor understanding of phosphate source and flow pathway dynamics. This study focused on monitoring sources and flow pathways of dissolved reactive P in a karst agroecosystem with phosphatic limestone. We collected event water samples at the Camden Creek …

Extraction Of Micro- And Nano-Plastic Particles From Water Using Hydrophobic Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents, Jameson R. Hunter

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

The production of plastic and the amount of waste plastic that enters the environment increases every year. Synthetic polymers will gradually break down into particles on the micro- and nano-scale. The micro- and nano-plastics pose a significant ecological harm by transporting toxic chemicals and causing inflammation and cellular damage when ingested. Two common plastics are polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and Polystyrene (PS), and a newer bioplastic polylactic acid (PLA) that has become a popular alternative. Deep eutectic solvents are a recently discovered solvent composed of a hydrogen bond donor and hydrogen bond acceptor and have been proposed as a cheaper alternative …

Assessing The Use Of Lidar And Uav Technology For Monitoring Growing Alfalfa, Stuart Tucker Sheffield

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Alfalfa is a popularly grown crop because of its value as a nutritious feed source for livestock. The efficient production of an alfalfa crop relies on the monitoring of certain parameters, like height, quality, and yield. Traditionally, producers have used manual measurements of alfalfa plant height to estimate the nutritive quality and yield of a growing alfalfa crop. Manual measurements of plant height are often labor intensive and provide low resolution data that is not acceptable for full field scale assessment of growing alfalfa. The two studies presented in this thesis offer detailed insight into the rapid and accurate monitoring …

Characterization And Upgrade Of Endocarp Biomass Derived Lignin To Value Added Products, Makua Vin-Nnajiofor

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Lignin is an abundant biopolymer and a promising source of feedstock for high-value chemicals and energy materials, however, application methods of lignin into valuable products is yet to be fully explored. This study explores the valorization of lignin derived from lignin-rich endocarp biomass through the development of lignin-derived electrode materials. The chemical composition and cellular structure of the endocarps were characterized using HPLC and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging. Mechanical properties of walnut and peach endocarps and preprocessing requirements were investigated using nanoindentation and specific energy consumption during grinding. Next, lignin was extracted from endocarps using deep eutectic solvent and …

Modeling Energy Flows In Floating In-Pond Raceways Utilizing Solar Power Back-Up, Bo Smith

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

The In-pond Raceway (IPR) is a novel option for production aquaculture, depending on water moving devices to provide constant flow. Device failure may result in catastrophic fish loss, requiring power backup systems to mitigate risk in case of power outages. Because these systems must be dependable and many suitable locations are remote, off-grid solar photovoltaic (PV) systems with battery storage have been considered since they eliminate need for utility power. Such systems can be hard to size and expensive. This study modeled system requirements using an energy balance to determine whether systems could withstand varying loads based on climatological conditions. …

Bio-Inspired Materials For Electrochemical Sensors, Matthew Joseph Hummel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Electrochemical biosensors are a rapidly growing research area that has greatly improved its specificity, accuracy, and precision in the detection of biomolecules in contemporary literature and industry alike. Typically, these systems exist in a three-electrode conformation with a working electrode functioning as the anode, a counter electrode functioning as the cathode, and a reference electrode allowing for the control of potential in the system. The method by which these sensors work is through the sharing of electrons via redox reactions with the target molecule and the working electrode or modifications on its surface. By exploiting the function of biomaterials that …

Biomass-Derived Electrode Materials And Sustainable Processes For Supercapacitors, Katelyn M. Shell

Theses and Dissertations

Biomass is one of the most abundant natural resources and has been used as a source of energy for thousands of years. Biomass as a precursor for energy storage materials is still relatively novel and faces several obstacles before becoming commonly used in today’s electrical devices. Currently, energy storage devices, such as batteries, capacitors, and supercapacitors, utilize petroleum-derived graphitic carbons for anodes, generating a need for more sustainable materials. Biomass, as a carbon-rich source for electrode materials, presents a viable and economically feasible alternative due to the prevalent lignocellulosic compounds: lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose. Preliminary studies on the solid residues …

Development Of Bio-Based Nanocomposites For Biosensor And Indicator Applications In Smart Food Packaging, Abdus Sobhan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Smart food packaging based on biosensors has been attracting more and more interest to the industrial community because of the concerns of food quality and safety. A food packaging with biosensor has a scope to enable real-time monitoring of microbial breakdown products of packaged foods. Furthermore, one of the biggest challenges in implementing biosensor for smart packaging materials is the development of bio-sensing active materials that can leverage their electrical, thermal, biodegradable and other functional properties. In this regard, nanocellulose-based activated carbon (NAC) nanocomposite was developed using the activated carbon and nanocellulose gel using the casting method with their different …