Fabrication of Flexible Graphene Films for Capacitive Displacement Pressure Transducer

The long term goal of this project is to synthesize a flexible graphene film to act as an electrode for a capacitive pressure transducer. This project was commissioned by Dwyer Instruments, Inc. to replace the silicon electrode in their miniature capacitive displacement pressure transducer. Replacing silicon with graphene should yield a pressure transducer that more accurately measures low pressures and has a larger dynamic range. The first step of this project is to convert graphite to graphite oxide (GO) using permanganate and hydrogen peroxide oxidation. The resulting GO powder has been characterized using x-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy. Several methods are being explored to reduce the GO to form a flexible graphene-containing film. One potential method is to soak sheets of paper in an aqueous GO solution, allow the water to evaporate, and then reduce the GO by heating the film in a 250 °C oven

Dendritic Cell Vaccination, Immune Regulation, and Clinical Outcomes in Ovarian Cancer

Clinical optimism for dendritic cell vaccination against ovarian cancer has been tempered by the knowledge that tumors avail themselves of multiple mechanisms of immune evasion, thus blunting the efficacy of therapeutic vaccination. Mechanisms of immune suppression include infiltration by regulatory T cells (Treg) and myeloid suppressor cell populations, expression of co-inhibitory receptors, and expression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO). Expression of both B7-H1 and IDO are associated with differentiation and recruitment of Treg, and clinical studies have shown that each of these mechanisms correlates independently with increased morbidity and mortality in ovarian cancer patients. In sharp contrast, recent studies have indicated that Th17 cell infiltration in ovarian cancer correlates with improved patient outcomes and prolonged overall survival. Given that IDO plays a pivotal role in the balance between Treg and Th17 immunity, elucidation of the mechanisms that regulate IDO activity and immune suppression may lead to novel adjuvants to boost the clinical efficacy of dendritic cell vaccination against ovarian cancer and other malignancies

Baseline Data Analysis of the Throgren Basin Retrofit

The Thorgren Basin, located in Valparaiso, IN, was created as a component of the stormwater management system for the city. The basin’s primary function is to collect stormwater from two separate regions of the Salt Creek Watershed after large storm events, that is then discharged through a single outlet. In its current state the basin has limited infiltration capabilities due to a lack of vegetation and pervious surfaces. The Save the Dunes Conservation Fund, a local non-profit group, provided a cost share opportunity to naturalize Thorngren basin. The goal of the summer 2011 project was to create a monitoring strategy for the basin, collect baseline water quality data to later evaluate the effectiveness of the retrofit, and provide public education and awareness of the project. Water quality and quantity parameters were evaluated on weekly sampling events within the interior and exterior of the basin. The water quality parameters analyz ed include Total Suspended Solids (TSS), nitrates, Total Phosphorus (TP), Dissolved Oxygen (DO), pH, temperature, and conductivity. Benthic macroinvertebrates were also collected to assess the extent of biologic degradation. Water quantity was evaluated using discharge rates from the inlets and outlets of the basin, along with evaluating the retention rates after storm events. After examining the water quality parameters, the northern most inlet (21F and 21B) had the most inconsistent water chemistry values and was the main contributor to water pollutants such as nitrates, Total Suspended Solids (TSS), and E. coli bacteria. By the time pollutants reached the outlet, the data reflects a mild dilution of nutrients and sediment, whether it be absorbed by plant or macroinvertebrate life. The effectiveness of the retrofit will be noted by the decrease in these pollutants and water chemistry after future data is collected post-implementation caused by alterations in plant species and the internal structure of the basin

Dual-Mode Combustion Experiments with an Integrated Aeroramp-Injector/Plasma-Torch Igniter

Results from combustion experiments in a direct-connect supersonic combustor facility are presented. Successful ignition and sustained combustion of both hydrogen and ethylene fuels were achieved using an integrated aeroramp-injector/plasma-torch igniter configuration. A Mach 2 nozzle was used to obtain How simulating Mach approximate to 4 flight conditions at 27 km, at a total temperature of 1000 K and a static pressure of 42 kPa. Combustion was achieved at (global) equivalence ratios between 0.08 and 0.31 for hydrogen and 0.13 and 0.47 for ethylene, with corresponding maximum combustor pressure rises of about a factor of 4.0. One-dimensional performance analysis of the test data indicates combustion efficiencies as high as 75% for both fuels, in the leanest conditions tested. Off-design flight conditions were tested by varying the freestream air total temperature. Supersonic combustion was achieved at total temperatures as low as 530 K with hydrogen and 680 K with ethylene

Dual-Mode Combustion Experiments with an Integrated Aeroramp-Injector/Plasma-Torch Igniter

Results from combustion experiments in a direct-connect supersonic combustor facility are presented. Successful ignition and sustained combustion of both hydrogen and ethylene fuels were achieved using an integrated aeroramp-injector/plasma-torch igniter configuration. A Mach 2 nozzle was used to obtain How simulating Mach approximate to 4 flight conditions at 27 km, at a total temperature of 1000 K and a static pressure of 42 kPa. Combustion was achieved at (global) equivalence ratios between 0.08 and 0.31 for hydrogen and 0.13 and 0.47 for ethylene, with corresponding maximum combustor pressure rises of about a factor of 4.0. One-dimensional performance analysis of the test data indicates combustion efficiencies as high as 75% for both fuels, in the leanest conditions tested. Off-design flight conditions were tested by varying the freestream air total temperature. Supersonic combustion was achieved at total temperatures as low as 530 K with hydrogen and 680 K with ethylene

Hypersonic Boundary Layer Measurements with Variable Blowing Rates Using Molecular Tagging Velocimetry

Measurements of mean and instantaneous streamwise velocity profiles in a hypersonic boundary layer with variable rates of mass injection (blowing) of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) were obtained over a 10-degree half-angle wedge model. The NO2 was seeded into the flow from a slot located 29.4 mm downstream of the sharp leading edge. The top surface of the wedge was oriented at a 20 degree angle in the Mach 10 flow, yielding an edge Mach number of approximately 4.2. The streamwise velocity profiles and streamwise fluctuating velocity component profiles were obtained using a three-laser NO2->NO photolysis molecular tagging velocimetry method. Observed trends in the mean streamwise velocity profiles and profiles of the fluctuating component of streamwise velocity as functions of the blowing rate are described. An effort is made to distinguish between the effect of blowing rate and wall temperature on the measured profiles. An analysis of the mean velocity profiles for a constant blowing rate is presented to determine the uncertainty in the measurement for different probe laser delay settings. Measurements of streamwise velocity were made to within approximately 120 gm of the model surface. The streamwise spatial resolution in this experiment ranged from 0.6 mm to 2.6 mm. An improvement in the spatial precision of the measurement technique has been made, with spatial uncertainties reduced by about a factor of 2 compared to previous measurements. For the quiescent flow calibration measurements presented, uncertainties as low as 2 m/s are obtained at 95% confidence for long delay times (25 gs). For the velocity measurements obtained with the wind tunnel operating, average single-shot uncertainties of less than 44 m/s are obtained at 95% confidence with a probe laser delay setting of 1 gs. The measurements were performed in the 31-inch Mach 10 Air Tunnel at the NASA Langley Research Center

Purifying a Mutated Carbon Monoxide Binding Protein, CooA C75S

Proteins in certain organisms have the ability to bind the molecule carbon monoxide. One of these proteins is the CooA protein, which exists in similar forms in two organisms: C. hydrogenoformans and R. rubrum. The R. rubrum CooA protein is very selective for carbon monoxide only, possibly due to the presence of a cysteine amino acid at position 75 in the structure of the protein. The CooA from C. hydrogenoformans does not have a cysteine amino acid in this position and binds more promiscuously, binding nitric oxide as well as carbon monoxide, for example. In order to test the hypothesis that the cysteine amino acid at position 75 causes the high selectivity of the R. rubrum CooA towards carbon monoxide, we expressed and purified a mutated CooA protein from R. rubrum in which the cysteine at position 75 was mutated to a serine amino acid. If the purification is successful, the mutant R. rubrum CooA can then be tested to see if it now binds nitric oxide as well as carbon monoxide, like the C. hydrogenoformans CooA protein

P-11 Social Support and Fundamentalism as Predictors of Religious Internalization

What variables are the strongest predictors of religious identification? Religious internalization can be broken down into identification, the full adoption of religious values, and introjection, a partial internalization of values. Fundamentalism is one variable thought to predict these motivational types. We defined fundamentalism as the degree to which someone holds their sacred texts as true. Additionally, social support relates to religious internalization. To measure these variables, two separate scales were used for each: Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction Scale for social support, Intratextual Fundamentalism Scale and Revised Religious Fundamentalism scale for fundamentalism, and The Faith Maturity Scale and Christian Religious Internalization Scale for religious internalization. After extensive review of previous literature, it was hypothesized that measures of fundamentalism would be independent predictors of religious identification relative to social support. The results of this study were analyzed using a hierarchical linear regression and the results of this hypothesis were partially supported. Fundamental beliefs and a personal relationship with Christ were the predictors of religious identification after measures of social support were included; however, measures of social support accounted for minimal additional variance

Veterinary antibiotic sorption to agroforestry buffer, grass buffer and cropland soils

Paper presented at the 11th North American Agroforesty Conference, which was held May 31-June 3, 2009 in Columbia, Missouri.In Gold, M.A. and M.M. Hall, eds. Agroforestry Comes of Age: Putting Science into Practice. Proceedings, 11th North American Agroforestry Conference, Columbia, Mo., May 31-June 3, 2009.Veterinary antibiotics are used to treat infectious animal diseases and enhance animal growth. In Missouri, the increased growth of confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and the need to dispose of manure generated by CAFOS may be problematic due to co-application of antibiotics during land application of manure. Surface runoff events from claypan or claypan-like soils are relatively frequent; thus, there is a need to develop and evaluate the use of vegetative buffer strips (VBS) as management tools to reduce antibiotic transport to surface water resources. The objectives of this study were to (1) investigate oxytetracycline (OTC) and sulfadimethoxine (SDT) sorption to agroforestry (tree/grass) buffer, grass buffer, and cropland soils, (2) evaluate differences in antibiotic sorption between soils collected from different vegetative species, and (3) elucidate relationships between soil properties and antibiotic sorption. Sorption/desorption isotherms generated using batch techniques were well-fitted by the Freundlich isotherm model (r2 [greater than] 0.80). Oxytetracycline was strongly adsorbed by all soils, and the antibiotic was not readily desorbed; hysteresis was observed between all adsorption and desorption isotherms. Solid-solution distribution coefficients (Kd) values of OTC are an order of magnitude greater than those of SDT. Statistical analyses indicate that OTC Kd values are significantly greater for VBS soils relative to cropland soil, and STD Kd values are significantly greater for agroforestry soils as compared to other soils studied. Regression analyses correlating antibiotic sorption to soil properties are in progress. Results indicate that agroforestry and grass buffers may effectively mitigate antibiotic loss from agroecosystems due to enhanced antibiotic sorption properties.Bei Chu (1), Keith Goyne (1), Stephen H. Anderson (1), Ranjith P. Udawatta (2) and Chung-Ho Lin (2) ; 1. Department of Soil, Environmental and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Missouri, 302 ABNR Building, Columbia, MO 65211. 2. Center for Agroforestry, University of Missouri, 203 ABNR, Columbia, MO 65211.Includes bibliographical references