What Do Final Year Engineering Students Know about Sustainable Development?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nicolaou, I.; Conlon, E.

2012-01-01

This paper presents data from a project that aims to determine the level of knowledge and understanding of engineering students about sustainable development (SD). The data derive from a survey completed by final year engineering students in three Irish Higher Education Institutions. This paper is part of a larger study that examines the…

Correlation between Sustainability Education and Engineering Students' Attitudes towards Sustainability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tang, Kuok Ho Daniel

2018-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the impacts of a sustainable development course on the beliefs, attitudes and intentions of a cohort of engineering students in a university in Miri, Malaysia, towards sustainability. Design/methodology/approach: Questionnaire survey was conducted among the cohort of students encompassing the…

Sustainable Development in Engineering Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taoussanidis, Nikolaos N.; Antoniadou, Myrofora A.

2006-01-01

The principles and practice of environmentally and socially sustainable engineering are in line with growing community expectations and the strengthening voice of civil society in engineering interventions. Pressures towards internationalization and globalization are reflected in new course accreditation criteria and higher education structures.…

Industrial training approach using GPM P5 Standard for Sustainability in Project Management: a framework for sustainability competencies in the 21st century

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johan, Kartina; Mohd Turan, Faiz

2016-11-01

Malaysian Engineering Accreditation (Engineering Programme Accreditation Manual, 2007) requires all bachelor degree in engineering programmes to incorporate a minimum of two months industrial training in order for the programme to be accredited by the council. The industrial training has the objective to provide students on the insights of being an engineer at the workplace hence increasing their knowledge in employability skills prior to graduation. However the current structure of industrial training is not able to inculcate good leadership ability and prepare students with sustainability competencies needed in the era of Sustainable Development (SD). This paper aims to study project management methodology as a framework to create a training pathway in industrial training for students in engineering programs using Green Project Management (GPM) P5 standard for sustainability in project management. The framework involves students as interns, supervisors from both university and industry and also participation from NonProfit Organisation (NPO). The framework focus on the development of the student's competency in employability skills, lean leadership and sustainability competencies using experiential learning approach. Deliverables of the framework include internship report, professional sustainability report using GPM P5 standard and competency assessment. The post-industrial phase of the framework is constructed for students to be assessed collaboratively by the university, industry and the sustainability practitioner in the country. The ability for the interns to act as a change agent in sustainability practices is measured by the competency assessment and the quality of the sustainability report. The framework support the call for developing holistic students based on Malaysian Education Blueprint (Higher Education) 2015-2025 and address the gap between the statuses of engineering qualification to the sustainability competencies in the 21st century in particular by achieving the Sustainability Graduates (SG) attributes outlined in the framework.

Sustainability: Necessity for a Prosperous Society

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fokkema, Jacob; Jansen, Leo; Mulder, Karel

2005-01-01

Purpose--To present the challenge of sustainable development, the way in which technology can address that challenge and the task of engineering education to train engineers for it. Design/methodology/approach--The paper describes briefly the history of the environmental and sustainability discourse in The Netherlands, as a densely populated…

Sustainability assessment of turbofan engine with mixed exhaust through exergetic approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saadon, S.; Redzuan, M. S. Mohd

2017-12-01

In this study, the theory, methods and example application are described for a CF6 high-bypass turbofan engine with mixed exhaust flow based on exergo-sustainable point of view. To determine exergetic sustainability index, the turbofan engine has to undergo detailed exergy analysis. The sustainability indicators reviewed here are the overall exergy efficiency of the system, waste exergy ratio, exergy destruction factor, environmental effect factor and the exergetic sustainability index. The results obtained for these parameters are 26.9%, 73.1%, 38.6%, 2.72 and 0.37, respectively, for the maximum take-off condition of the engine. These results would be useful to better understand the connection between the propulsion system parameters and their impact to the environment in order to make it more sustainable for future development.

Engineering Sustainable Engineers through the Undergraduate Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weatherton, Yvette Pearson; Sattler, Melanie; Mattingly, Stephen; Chen, Victoria; Rogers, Jamie; Dennis, Brian

2012-01-01

In order to meet the challenges of sustainable development, our approach to education must be modified to equip students to evaluate alternatives and devise solutions that meet multi-faceted requirements. In 2009, faculty in the Departments of Civil, Industrial and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington began implementation…

Creating Sustainable Societies: Developing Emerging Professionals through Transforming Current Mindsets

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griswold, Wendy

2017-01-01

Future professionals will bear the brunt of creating sustainable societies. Equipping them for the task is the challenge of current educators. Educational experiences facilitating the development of sustainable habits of mind are needed. This research reports on the experiences of developing scientists and engineers engaged in a sustainable energy…

A sustained-arc ignition system for internal combustion engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Birchenough, A. G.

1977-01-01

A sustained-arc ignition system was developed for internal combustion engines. It produces a very-long-duration ignition pulse with an energy in the order of 100 millijoules. The ignition pulse waveform can be controlled to predetermined actual ignition requirements. The design of the sustained-arc ignition system is presented in the report.

Systematic Curriculum Integration of Sustainable Development Using Life Cycle Approaches: The Case of the Civil Engineering Department at the Université de Sherbrooke

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roure, Bastien; Anand, Chirjiv; Bisaillon, Véronique; Amor, Ben

2018-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide a consistent and systematic integration framework of sustainable development (SD) in a civil engineering (CE) curriculum, given the connection between the two. Curriculum integration is a challenging project and requires the development of certain protocols to ensure success.…

Integrating Sustainable Development in Chemical Engineering Education: The Application of an Environmental Management System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montanes, M. T.; Palomares, A. E.; Sanchez-Tovar, R.

2012-01-01

The principles of sustainable development have been integrated in chemical engineering education by means of an environmental management system. These principles have been introduced in the teaching laboratories where students perform their practical classes. In this paper, the implementation of the environmental management system, the problems…

A Holistic Approach to Delivering Sustainable Design Education in Civil Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vemury, Chandra Mouli; Heidrich, Oliver; Thorpe, Neil; Crosbie, Tracey

2018-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present pedagogical approaches developed and implemented to deliver sustainable design education (SDE) to second-year undergraduate students on civil engineering programmes in the (then) School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences at Newcastle University. In doing so, the work presented offers an example of…

Sustaining engineering codes of ethics for the twenty-first century.

PubMed

Michelfelder, Diane; Jones, Sharon A

2013-03-01

How much responsibility ought a professional engineer to have with regard to supporting basic principles of sustainable development? While within the United States, professional engineering societies, as reflected in their codes of ethics, differ in their responses to this question, none of these professional societies has yet to put the engineer's responsibility toward sustainability on a par with commitments to public safety, health, and welfare. In this paper, we aim to suggest that sustainability should be included in the paramountcy clause because it is a necessary condition to ensure the safety, health, and welfare of the public. Part of our justification rests on the fact that to engineer sustainably means among many things to consider social justice, understood as the fair and equitable distribution of social goods, as a design constraint similar to technical, economic, and environmental constraints. This element of social justice is not explicit in the current paramountcy clause. Our argument rests on demonstrating that social justice in terms of both inter- and intra-generational equity is an important dimension of sustainability (and engineering). We also propose that embracing sustainability in the codes while recognizing the role that social justice plays may elevate the status of the engineer as public intellectual and agent of social good. This shift will then need to be incorporated in how we teach undergraduate engineering students about engineering ethics.

Dialogue on sustainable development as part of engineering education: the relevance of the Finnish case : commentary on "a national collaboration process: Finnish engineering education for the benefit of people and environment".

PubMed

Geerts, Robert

2013-12-01

Society invests in the education of engineers because it is expected that the works of engineers will bring good results for society. Because the work of engineers is not value free or neutral, it is important that engineers are educated in the important principles of the social sciences and humanities. This education is essential for the awareness and understanding of what is good for society. Therefore the concept of sustainable development should be part of an education in engineering but only when the social sciences are also a part of it.

Engineering sustainable development

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Prendergast, J.

1993-10-01

This article discusses sustainable development, a policy which attempts to balance environmental preservation and economic growth, and promises a way to provide a decent life for Earth's human inhabitants without destroying the global ecosystem. Sustainable development is an effort to use technology to help clean up the mess it helped make, and engineers will be central players in its success or failure. Key aspects include more efficient energy use through conservation measures and switching to renewable sources, waste minimization, much greater recycling and reuse of materials, more comprehensive economic/environmental assessments employing life-cycle analyses, and better management of resources.

Optimizing BMP Placement at Watershed-Scale Using SUSTAIN. A presentation

EPA Science Inventory

SUSTAIN is intended to support local and county government engineers/planners, federal/state regulatory reviewers, private consulting engineers, concerned citizens, stakeholders, and academicians in the development of watershed-based management plans. The users are expec...

Are We Educating Engineers for Sustainability?: Comparison between Obtained Competences and Swedish Industry's Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanning, Andreas; Abelsson, Anna Priem; Lundqvist, Ulrika; Svanstrom, Magdalena

2012-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this study is to contribute to the quality improvement and long-term strategic development of education for sustainable development (ESD) in engineering education curricula. Design/methodology/approach: The content in 70 courses in environment and SD were characterized and quantified using course document text analysis.…

Integration of Sustainable Development in Sanitary Engineering Education in Sweden

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rydhagen, B.; Dackman, C.

2011-01-01

In the Swedish Act for higher education, as well as in the policies of technical universities, it is stated that sustainable development (SD) should be integrated into engineering education. Researchers argue that SD needs to be integrated into the overall course content rather than added as a specific course. In this paper, six engineering…

Role of Biocatalysis in Sustainable Chemistry.

PubMed

Sheldon, Roger A; Woodley, John M

2018-01-24

Based on the principles and metrics of green chemistry and sustainable development, biocatalysis is both a green and sustainable technology. This is largely a result of the spectacular advances in molecular biology and biotechnology achieved in the past two decades. Protein engineering has enabled the optimization of existing enzymes and the invention of entirely new biocatalytic reactions that were previously unknown in Nature. It is now eminently feasible to develop enzymatic transformations to fit predefined parameters, resulting in processes that are truly sustainable by design. This approach has successfully been applied, for example, in the industrial synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients. In addition to the use of protein engineering, other aspects of biocatalysis engineering, such as substrate, medium, and reactor engineering, can be utilized to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness and, hence, the sustainability of biocatalytic reactions. Furthermore, immobilization of an enzyme can improve its stability and enable its reuse multiple times, resulting in better performance and commercial viability. Consequently, biocatalysis is being widely applied in the production of pharmaceuticals and some commodity chemicals. Moreover, its broader application will be further stimulated in the future by the emerging biobased economy.

Just sustainability? Sustainability and social justice in professional codes of ethics for engineers.

PubMed

Brauer, Cletus S

2013-09-01

Should environmental, social, and economic sustainability be of primary concern to engineers? Should social justice be among these concerns? Although the deterioration of our natural environment and the increase in social injustices are among today's most pressing and important issues, engineering codes of ethics and their paramountcy clause, which contains those values most important to engineering and to what it means to be an engineer, do not yet put either concept on a par with the safety, health, and welfare of the public. This paper addresses a recent proposal by Michelfelder and Jones (2011) to include sustainability in the paramountcy clause as a way of rectifying the current disregard for social justice issues in the engineering codes. That proposal builds on a certain notion of sustainability that includes social justice as one of its dimensions and claims that social justice is a necessary condition for sustainability, not vice versa. The relationship between these concepts is discussed, and the original proposal is rejected. Drawing on insights developed throughout the paper, some suggestions are made as to how one should address the different requirements that theory and practice demand of the value taxonomy of professional codes of ethics.

Ethics and the UN Sustainable Development Goals: The Case for Comprehensive Engineering : Commentary on "Using Student Engagement to Relocate Ethics to the Core of the Engineering Curriculum".

PubMed

van den Hoven, Jeroen

2016-12-27

In the twenty-first century, the urgent problems the world is facing (the UN Sustainable Development Goals) are increasingly related to vast and intricate 'systems of systems', which comprise both socio-technical and eco-systems. In order for engineers to adequately and responsibly respond to these problems, they cannot focus on only one technical or any other aspect in isolation, but must adopt a wider and multidisciplinary perspective of these systems, including an ethical and social perspective. Engineering curricula should therefore focus on what we call 'comprehensive engineering'. Comprehensive engineering implies ethical coherence, consilience of scientific disciplines, and cooperation between parties.

Using Green Chemistry and Engineering Principles to Design, Assess, and Retrofit Chemical Processes for Sustainability

EPA Science Inventory

The concepts of green chemistry and engineering (GC&E) have been promoted as an effective qualitative framework for developing more sustainable chemical syntheses, processes, and material management techniques. This has been demonstrated by many theoretical and practical cases. I...

Engineering biological systems toward a sustainable bioeconomy.

PubMed

Lopes, Mateus Schreiner Garcez

2015-06-01

The nature of our major global risks calls for sustainable innovations to decouple economic growth from greenhouse gases emission. The development of sustainable technologies has been negatively impacted by several factors including sugar production costs, production scale, economic crises, hydraulic fracking development and the market inability to capture externality costs. However, advances in engineering of biological systems allow bridging the gap between exponential growth of knowledge about biology and the creation of sustainable value chains for a broad range of economic sectors. Additionally, industrial symbiosis of different biobased technologies can increase competitiveness and sustainability, leading to the development of eco-industrial parks. Reliable policies for carbon pricing and revenue reinvestments in disruptive technologies and in the deployment of eco-industrial parks could boost the welfare while addressing our major global risks toward the transition from a fossil to a biobased economy.

Re-Engineering Vocational and Technical Education (VTE) for Sustainable Development in North Central Geo-Political Zone, Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sofoluwe, Abayomi Olumade

2013-01-01

The purpose of the study is to re-engineer vocational and technical education for sustainable development in the North Central Geo-Political Zone in Nigeria. The research design adopted was a survey inferential type. Stratified random was used to select 36 schools out of 98 schools while 920 students out of 3680 students were sampled. The data…

2014 Trans-Atlantic Research and Development Interchange on Sustainability (Tardis 2014): Summary of Discussions

EPA Science Inventory

The Trans-Atlantic Research and Development Interchange on Sustainability (TARDIS) has been bringing together a select group of scientists and engineers for in-depth discussions on sustainability on a bi-annual basis since 2004. TARDIS 2014 included twenty eight individuals from ...

Sustainability Logistics Basing - Science and Technology Objective - Demonstration; 50, 300, 1000- Person Base Camp, Analysis of FY12 Operationally Relevant Technical Baseline

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-04-10

Natick Soldier Research , Development and Engineering Center’s Sustainability/Logistics- Basing -Science and Technology Objective – Demonstration to...CERDEC)  Tank Automotive Research , Development, and Engineering Center (TARDEC)  Product Director Contingency Basing Infrastructure (PdD – CBI...assessed using the QoL (O) tool, developed for the SLB-STO-D program by the Consumer Research Team (NSRDEC), based upon the assumptions documented within

Strategies for Developing Sustainable Design Practice for Students and SME Professionals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Eyto, A.; Mc Mahon, M.; Hadfield, M.; Hutchings, M.

2008-01-01

Designers and engineers seem finally to be awakening to the challenge that sustainable development has given. Educators and students alike are keenly aware of the need to become more effective in the training and practice of their specific disciplines with respect to sustainability. In the past four years since this research has developed, there…

Genetic Engineering Strategies for Enhanced Biodiesel Production.

PubMed

Hegde, Krishnamoorthy; Chandra, Niharika; Sarma, Saurabh Jyoti; Brar, Satinder Kaur; Veeranki, Venkata Dasu

2015-07-01

The focus on biodiesel research has shown a tremendous growth over the last few years. Several microbial and plant sources are being explored for the sustainable biodiesel production to replace the petroleum diesel. Conventional methods of biodiesel production have several limitations related to yield and quality, which led to development of new engineering strategies to improve the biodiesel production in plants, and microorganisms. Substantial progress in utilizing algae, yeast, and Escherichia coli for the renewable production of biodiesel feedstock via genetic engineering of fatty acid metabolic pathways has been reported in the past few years. However, in most of the cases, the successful commercialization of such engineering strategies for sustainable biodiesel production is yet to be seen. This paper systematically presents the drawbacks in the conventional methods for biodiesel production and an exhaustive review on the present status of research in genetic engineering strategies for production of biodiesel in plants, and microorganisms. Further, we summarize the technical challenges need to be tackled to make genetic engineering technology economically sustainable. Finally, the need and prospects of genetic engineering technology for the sustainable biodiesel production and the recommendations for the future research are discussed.

Innovative Competencies of Mining engineers in Transition to the Sustainable Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krechetov, Andrey; Khoreshok, Alexey; Blumenstein, Valery

2017-11-01

The transition to the sustainable development posed new challenges to the system of mining higher education. They are determined by the acceleration of scientific and technological progress and widespread introduction of innovations, convergence of technologies from various industries. On the one hand, globalization and rapid technology development are constantly increasing quality requirements for the labor resources of the mineral and raw materials complex and constant improvement of their skills. On the other hand, the transition to the sustainable development provides the necessity for rational use of raw materials and environmental protection. This requires the improvement of staff support system for mining operations and the interaction of enterprises with universities training mining engineers, aimed at the innovative competencies development of future miners.

Development of a Simplified Sustainable Facilities Guide

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-04-18

Government Through Efficient Energy Management , June 3, 1999 EO 13148 Greening the Government Through Leadership in Environmental Management ...architects, engineers, and project managers . - The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) has created the " Leadership in Energy and...SIMPLIFIED SUSTAINABLE FACILITIES GUIDE THESIS Presented to the Faculty Department of Systems and Engineering Management

Case Studies in Sustainability Used in an Introductory Laboratory Course to Enhance Laboratory Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luster-Teasley, Stephanie; Hargrove-Leak, Sirena; Gibson, Willietta; Leak, Roland

2017-01-01

This educational research seeks to develop novel laboratory modules by using Case Studies in the Science Teaching method to introduce sustainability and environmental engineering laboratory concepts to 21st century learners. The increased interest in "going green" has led to a surge in the number of engineering students studying…

Developing Energy Technology Course for Undergraduate Engineering Management Study Program in Lake Toba Area with Particular Focus to Sustainable Energy Systems in Development Context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manik, Yosef; Sinaga, Rizal; Saragi, Hadi

2018-02-01

Undergraduate Engineering Management Study Program of Institut Teknologi Del is one of the pioneers for its field in Indonesia. Located in Lake Toba Area, this study program has a mission to provide high quality Engineering Management education that produces globally competitive graduates who in turn will contribute to local development. Framing the Energy Technology course—one of the core subjects in Engineering Management Body of Knowledge—in the context of sustainable development of Lake Toba Area is very essential. Thus, one particular focus in this course is sustainable energy systems in local development context that incorporates identification and analysis of locally available energy resources. In this paper we present our experience in designing such course. In this work, we introduce the domains that shape the Engineering Management Body of Knowledge. Then, we explain the results of our evaluation on the key considerations to meet the rapidly changing needs of society in local context. Later, we present the framework of the learning outcomes and the syllabus as a result of mapping the road map with the requirement. At the end, the summary from the first two semesters of delivering this course in academic year 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 are reported.

Addressing the Grand Challenge of atmospheric carbon dioxide: geologic sequestration vs. biological recycling

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

On February 15, 2008, the National Academy of Engineering unveiled their list of 14 Grand Challenges for Engineering. Building off of tremendous advancements in the past century, these challenges were selected for their role in assuring a sustainable existence for the rapidly increasing global community. It is no accident that the first five Challenges on the list involve the development of sustainable energy sources and management of environmental resources. While the focus of this review is to address the single Grand Challenge of "develop carbon sequestration methods", is will soon be clear that several other Challenges are intrinsically tied to it through the principles of sustainability. How does the realm of biological engineering play a role in addressing these Grand Challenges? PMID:22047501

Systems metabolic engineering as an enabling technology in accomplishing sustainable development goals.

PubMed

Yang, Dongsoo; Cho, Jae Sung; Choi, Kyeong Rok; Kim, Hyun Uk; Lee, Sang Yup

2017-09-01

With pressing issues arising in recent years, the United Nations proposed 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as an agenda urging international cooperations for sustainable development. In this perspective, we examine the roles of systems metabolic engineering (SysME) and its contribution to improving the quality of life and protecting our environment, presenting how this field of study offers resolutions to the SDGs with relevant examples. We conclude with offering our opinion on the current state of SysME and the direction it should move forward in the generations to come, explicitly focusing on addressing the SDGs. © 2017 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

Development and Validation of Mechanical Engineering Trade Skills Assessment Instrument for Sustainable Job Security in Yobe State

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adamu, Gishua Garba; Dawha, Josphine Musa; Kamar, Tiamiyu Salihu

2015-01-01

Mechanical Engineering Trade Skills Assessment Instrument (METSAI) is aimed at determining the extent to which students have acquired practical skills before graduation that will enable them get employment for sustainable job security in Yobe state. The study employed instrumentation research design. The populations of the study were 23 mechanical…

Enterprise 3.0 in Engineering Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahrens, Andreas; Zascerinska, Jelena

2011-01-01

Enterprise 3.0 offers potential solutions for the quality, maintenance and sustainable development of services. The synergy between Enterprise 3.0 and engineering education advances the development of innovative products, processes and services in the European economy. Aim of the research is to analyze student engineers' use of Enterprise 3.0…

The fraying web of life and our future engineers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Splitt, Frank G.

2004-07-01

Evidence abounds that we are reaching the carrying capacity of the earth -- engaging in deficit spending. The amount of crops, animals, and other biomatter we extract from the earth each year exceeds wth the earth can replace by an estimated 20%. Additionally, signs of climate change are precursors of things to come. Global industrialization and the new technologies of the 20th century have helped to stretch the capacities of our finite natural system to precarious levels. Taken together, this evidence reflects a fraying web of life. Sustainable development and natural capitalism work to reverse these trends, however, we are often still wedded to the notion that environmental conservation and economic development are the 'players' in a zero-sum game. Engineering and its technological derivatives can also help remedy the problem. The well being of future generations will depend to a large extent on how we educate our future engineers. These engineers will be a new breed -- developing and using sustainable technology, benign manufacturing processes and an expanded array of environmental assessment tools that will simultaneously support and maintain healthy economies and a healthy environment. The importance of environment and sustainable development cosiderations, the need for their widespread inclusion in engineering education, the impediments to change, and the important role played by ABET will be presented.

Crew Exercise Fact Sheet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rafalik, Kerrie

2017-01-01

Johnson Space Center (JSC) provides research, engineering, development, integration, and testing of hardware and software technologies for exercise systems applications in support of human spaceflight. This includes sustaining the current suite of on-orbit exercise devices by reducing maintenance, addressing obsolescence, and increasing reliability through creative engineering solutions. Advanced exercise systems technology development efforts focus on the sustainment of crew's physical condition beyond Low Earth Orbit for extended mission durations with significantly reduced mass, volume, and power consumption when compared to the ISS.

Crew Exercise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rafalik, Kerrie K.

2017-01-01

Johnson Space Center (JSC) provides research, engineering, development, integration, and testing of hardware and software technologies for exercise systems applications in support of human spaceflight. This includes sustaining the current suite of on-orbit exercise devices by reducing maintenance, addressing obsolescence, and increasing reliability through creative engineering solutions. Advanced exercise systems technology development efforts focus on the sustainment of crew's physical condition beyond Low Earth Orbit for extended mission durations with significantly reduced mass, volume, and power consumption when compared to the ISS.

[Engineering and expertise in sustainable development in hospitals].

PubMed

Barat, Pascal

2012-01-01

Sustainable development is nowadays a concept shared by most people even if it is sometimes hard to grasp. Combining good economic management, social progress and the protection of the environment is not always easy. It is however an essential exercise in order not to compromise the ability of future generations to meet their requirements. Tours University Hospital embarked on a sustainable development strategy in 2008.

Establishing sustainable strategies in urban underground engineering.

PubMed

Curiel-Esparza, Jorge; Canto-Perello, Julian; Calvo, Maria A

2004-07-01

Growth of urban areas, the corresponding increased demand for utility services and the possibility of new types of utility systems are overcrowding near surface underground space with urban utilities. Available subsurface space will continue to diminish to the point where utilidors (utility tunnels) may become inevitable. Establishing future sustainable strategies in urban underground engineering consists of the ability to lessen the use of traditional trenching. There is an increasing interest in utility tunnels for urban areas as a sustainable technique to avoid congestion of the subsurface. One of the principal advantages of utility tunnels is the substantially lower environmental impact compared with common trenches. Implementing these underground facilities is retarded most by the initial cost and management procedures. The habitual procedure is to meet problems as they arise in current practice. The moral imperative of sustainable strategies fails to confront the economic and political conflicts of interest. Municipal engineers should act as a key enabler in urban underground sustainable development.

Developing sustainable software solutions for bioinformatics by the “ Butterfly” paradigm

PubMed Central

Ahmed, Zeeshan; Zeeshan, Saman; Dandekar, Thomas

2014-01-01

Software design and sustainable software engineering are essential for the long-term development of bioinformatics software. Typical challenges in an academic environment are short-term contracts, island solutions, pragmatic approaches and loose documentation. Upcoming new challenges are big data, complex data sets, software compatibility and rapid changes in data representation. Our approach to cope with these challenges consists of iterative intertwined cycles of development (“ Butterfly” paradigm) for key steps in scientific software engineering. User feedback is valued as well as software planning in a sustainable and interoperable way. Tool usage should be easy and intuitive. A middleware supports a user-friendly Graphical User Interface (GUI) as well as a database/tool development independently. We validated the approach of our own software development and compared the different design paradigms in various software solutions. PMID:25383181

Engineering Professional Development Design for Secondary School Teachers: A Multiple Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daugherty, Jenny Lynn

2009-01-01

The complexity of engineering and its integration into K-12 education have resulted in a variety of issues requiring sustained empirical research (Johnson, Burghardt, & Daugherty, 2008). One particular area of need, given the emphasis on teacher effects on student learning, is to research engineering-oriented teacher professional development. A…

A Contingency View of the Strategies of Sustainable Development and Disclosure: Study of ENR's Top 10 Contractors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ho, Shih Ping; Yu, Chong Yang; Hsu, Yaowen

2017-04-01

More and more international firms in the A/E/C (Architecture/Engineering/ Construction) industries voluntarily invest in sustainable development and disclose their efforts publicly. Especially, the sustainable development efforts of the firms in Construction industry draw more attentions from the public, compared to that in A/E industries. There are various reporting systems in practice for reporting the performance of a firm's development on sustainability. The most well known reporting systems include Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), and the AA1000 Accountability Principal Standards. However, most of these reporting systems are very complicated in terms of the performance indices and the categories and subcategories of these indices. It is impossible and also unnecessary for a firm to be evaluated on all the indices. However, it is also not clear on what indices are more important for a firm than other indices and why. The more fundamental questions are "what sustainable development efforts contribute more to a particular firm's competitive advantages and why?" In this research, we studied the world's top 10 contractors in ENR (Engineering News Records). We analyzed how these contractors disclose their efforts and performance in sustainable development and, most importantly, why. Lastly, based on the insights obtained from the analysis, we developed a contingency view of sustainable development and disclosure strategies. This strategic framework can be further examined from the perspective of firms' competitive advantages and give implications to how a firm's top managers should implement the firm's sustainable development program.

Negotiating Cultural Humility: First-Year Engineering Students' Development in a Life-Long Journey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Groll, Lorie

2013-01-01

One of the most sought after abilities in matriculating engineering students is the ability to negotiate cultural differences and build sustainable partnerships with others. This core attribute of the National Academy of Engineers' Engineer of 2020 is one of the least researched areas in engineering education literature. The ABET Engineering…

Information systems for engineering sustainable development

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leonard, R.S.

1992-02-27

The ability of a country to follow sustainable development paths is determined to a large extent by the capacity or capabilities of its people and its institutions. Specifically, capacity-building in the UNCED terminology encompasses the country's human, scientific, technological, organizational, institutional, and resource capabilities. A fundamental goal of capacity-building is to enhance the ability to pose, evaluate and address crucial questions related to policy choices and methods of implementation among development options. As a result the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) Agenda 21 planning process has identified the need for better methods by which information can bemore » transferred between industrialized nations and developing nations. The reasons for better methods of information transfer include facilitating decisions related to sustainable development and building the capacity of developing nations to better plan their future in both an economical and environmentally sound manner. This paper is a discussion on mechanisms for providing information and technologies available for presenting the information to a variety of cultures and levels of technical literacy. Consideration is given to access to information technology as well as to the cost to the user. One concept discussed includes an Engineering Partnership'' which brings together the talents and resources of private consulting engineers, corporations, non-profit professional organizations, government agencies and funding institution which work in partnership with each other and associates in developing countries. Concepts which are related to information technologies include a hypertext based, user configurable cultural translator and information navigator and the use of multi-media technologies to educate engineers about the concepts of sustainability, and the adaptation of the concept of metabolism to creating industrial systems.« less

Information systems for engineering sustainable development

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leonard, R.S.

1992-02-27

The ability of a country to follow sustainable development paths is determined to a large extent by the capacity or capabilities of its people and its institutions. Specifically, capacity-building in the UNCED terminology encompasses the country`s human, scientific, technological, organizational, institutional, and resource capabilities. A fundamental goal of capacity-building is to enhance the ability to pose, evaluate and address crucial questions related to policy choices and methods of implementation among development options. As a result the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) Agenda 21 planning process has identified the need for better methods by which information can bemore » transferred between industrialized nations and developing nations. The reasons for better methods of information transfer include facilitating decisions related to sustainable development and building the capacity of developing nations to better plan their future in both an economical and environmentally sound manner. This paper is a discussion on mechanisms for providing information and technologies available for presenting the information to a variety of cultures and levels of technical literacy. Consideration is given to access to information technology as well as to the cost to the user. One concept discussed includes an ``Engineering Partnership`` which brings together the talents and resources of private consulting engineers, corporations, non-profit professional organizations, government agencies and funding institution which work in partnership with each other and associates in developing countries. Concepts which are related to information technologies include a hypertext based, user configurable cultural translator and information navigator and the use of multi-media technologies to educate engineers about the concepts of sustainability, and the adaptation of the concept of metabolism to creating industrial systems.« less

Sustainable Development and Energy Geotechnology Potential Roles for Geotechnical Engineering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

FragaszyProgram Dire, Dr. R. J.; Santamarina, Carlos; Espinoza, N.

2011-01-01

The world is facing unprecedented challenges related to energy resources, global climate change, material use, and waste generation. Failure to address these challenges will inhibit the growth of the developing world and will negatively impact the standard of living and security of future generations in all nations. The solutions to these challenges will require multidisciplinary research across the social and physical sciences and engineering. Although perhaps not always recognized, geotechnical engineering expertise is critical to the solution of many energy and sustainability-related problems. Hence, geotechnical engineers and academicians have opportunity and responsibility to contribute to the solution of these worldwidemore » problems. Research will need to be extended to non-standard issues such as thermal properties of soils; sediment and rock response to extreme conditions and at very long time scales; coupled hydro-chemo-thermo-bio-mechanical processes; positive feedback systems; the development of discontinuities; biological modification of soil properties; spatial variability; and emergent phenomena. Clearly, the challenges facing geotechnical engineering in the future will require a much broader knowledge base than our traditional educational programs provide. The geotechnical engineering curricula, from undergraduate education through continuing professional education, must address the changing needs of a profession that will increasingly be engaged in alternative/renewable energy production; energy efficiency; sustainable design, enhanced and more efficient use of natural resources, waste management, and underground utilization.« less

Research on the Development and Enlightenment of Urban Environmental Engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Mingjing; Li, Guanglou; Zhang, Lu; Shou, Youping; Li, Yajuan; Ye, Wei; Xu, Jing

2018-04-01

In recent years, under the promotion of reform and opening up, China's economic development has greatly accelerated, urbanization is also gradually accelerated. In the process of urbanization, there are many problems. The development of environmental engineering is one of the most important points. While building our living environment; we should also pay attention to the implementation of sustainable development strategies. First of all, This paper describes basic situation of environmental engineering, and finally provided some measures to promote the strengthening of China's environmental engineering

A tailored biocatalyst achieved by the rational anchoring of imidazole groups on a natural polymer: furnishing a potential artificial nuclease by sustainable materials engineering.

PubMed

Ferreira, José G L; Grein-Iankovski, Aline; Oliveira, Marco A S; Simas-Tosin, Fernanda F; Riegel-Vidotti, Izabel C; Orth, Elisa S

2015-04-11

Foreseeing the development of artificial enzymes by sustainable materials engineering, we rationally anchored reactive imidazole groups on gum arabic, a natural biocompatible polymer. The tailored biocatalyst GAIMZ demonstrated catalytic activity (>10(5)-fold) in dephosphorylation reactions with recyclable features and was effective in cleaving plasmid DNA, comprising a potential artificial nuclease.

Systems Biology of Industrial Microorganisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papini, Marta; Salazar, Margarita; Nielsen, Jens

The field of industrial biotechnology is expanding rapidly as the chemical industry is looking towards more sustainable production of chemicals that can be used as fuels or building blocks for production of solvents and materials. In connection with the development of sustainable bioprocesses, it is a major challenge to design and develop efficient cell factories that can ensure cost efficient conversion of the raw material into the chemical of interest. This is achieved through metabolic engineering, where the metabolism of the cell factory is engineered such that there is an efficient conversion of sugars, the typical raw materials in the fermentation industry, into the desired product. However, engineering of cellular metabolism is often challenging due to the complex regulation that has evolved in connection with adaptation of the different microorganisms to their ecological niches. In order to map these regulatory structures and further de-regulate them, as well as identify ingenious metabolic engineering strategies that full-fill mass balance constraints, tools from systems biology can be applied. This involves both high-throughput analysis tools like transcriptome, proteome and metabolome analysis, as well as the use of mathematical modeling to simulate the phenotypes resulting from the different metabolic engineering strategies. It is in fact expected that systems biology may substantially improve the process of cell factory development, and we therefore propose the term Industrial Systems Biology for how systems biology will enhance the development of industrial biotechnology for sustainable chemical production.

Systems biology of industrial microorganisms.

PubMed

Papini, Marta; Salazar, Margarita; Nielsen, Jens

2010-01-01

The field of industrial biotechnology is expanding rapidly as the chemical industry is looking towards more sustainable production of chemicals that can be used as fuels or building blocks for production of solvents and materials. In connection with the development of sustainable bioprocesses, it is a major challenge to design and develop efficient cell factories that can ensure cost efficient conversion of the raw material into the chemical of interest. This is achieved through metabolic engineering, where the metabolism of the cell factory is engineered such that there is an efficient conversion of sugars, the typical raw materials in the fermentation industry, into the desired product. However, engineering of cellular metabolism is often challenging due to the complex regulation that has evolved in connection with adaptation of the different microorganisms to their ecological niches. In order to map these regulatory structures and further de-regulate them, as well as identify ingenious metabolic engineering strategies that full-fill mass balance constraints, tools from systems biology can be applied. This involves both high-throughput analysis tools like transcriptome, proteome and metabolome analysis, as well as the use of mathematical modeling to simulate the phenotypes resulting from the different metabolic engineering strategies. It is in fact expected that systems biology may substantially improve the process of cell factory development, and we therefore propose the term Industrial Systems Biology for how systems biology will enhance the development of industrial biotechnology for sustainable chemical production.

`Human nature': Chemical engineering students' ideas about human relationships with the natural world

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldman, Daphne; Ben-Zvi Assaraf, Orit; Shemesh, Julia

2014-05-01

While importance of environmental ethics, as a component of sustainable development, in preparing engineers is widely acknowledged, little research has addressed chemical engineers' environmental concerns. This study aimed to address this void by exploring chemical engineering students' values regarding human-nature relationships. The study was conducted with 247 3rd-4th year chemical engineering students in Israeli Universities. It employed the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP)-questionnaire to which students added written explanations. Quantitative analysis of NEP-scale results shows that the students demonstrated moderately ecocentric orientation. Explanations to the NEP-items reveal diverse, ambivalent ideas regarding the notions embodied in the NEP, strong scientific orientation and reliance on technology for addressing environmental challenges. Endorsing sustainability implies that today's engineers be equipped with an ecological perspective. The capacity of Higher Education to enable engineers to develop dispositions about human-nature interrelationships requires adaptation of curricula towards multidisciplinary, integrative learning addressing social-political-economic-ethical perspectives, and implementing critical-thinking within the socio-scientific issues pedagogical approach.

"Human Nature": Chemical Engineering Students' Ideas about Human Relationships with the Natural World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldman, Daphne; Assaraf, Orit Ben-Zvi; Shemesh, Julia

2014-01-01

While importance of environmental ethics, as a component of sustainable development, in preparing engineers is widely acknowledged, little research has addressed chemical engineers' environmental concerns. This study aimed to address this void by exploring chemical engineering students' values regarding human-nature relationships. The study was…

Popularizing Geological Education among Civil Engineering Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Xiang-jun; Zhou, Ying

2012-01-01

The sustainable development of an economy and a society cannot be realized without the help of modern geoscience. Engineering geology knowledge is necessary on a civil engineering construction site to ensure the construction work goes smoothly. This paper first discusses the importance of geoscience, especially the study of engineering geology.…

Engineering Education: The Key to a Sustainable Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Jason

2012-01-01

It is obvious that engineering played a significant role in the development of the world. Many contributions engineers have given are visible in the world and in people's daily lives. Unfortunately, humans often learn through trial and error, and much of the world has been developed in ways that did not contribute to the well-being of the planet…

The New Global Responsibilities of Engineers Create Challenges for Engineering Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fuchs, Willi

2012-01-01

Modern societies aim to solve the global challenges of the 21st century with sustainable solutions such as resource efficiency, use of renewable energy sources and recycling. Engineers are called upon to create the cutting edge technological solutions that can help to address these challenges. In developed as well as in developing countries,…

Engineering students' sustainability approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haase, S.

2014-05-01

Sustainability issues are increasingly important in engineering work all over the world. This article explores systematic differences in self-assessed competencies, interests, importance, engagement and practices of newly enrolled engineering students in Denmark in relation to environmental and non-environmental sustainability issues. The empirical base of the article is a nation-wide, web-based survey sent to all newly enrolled engineering students in Denmark commencing their education in the fall term 2010. The response rate was 46%. The survey focused on a variety of different aspects of what can be conceived as sustainability. By means of cluster analysis, three engineering student approaches to sustainability are identified and described. The article provides knowledge on the different prerequisites of engineering students in relation to the role of sustainability in engineering. This information is important input to educators trying to target new engineering students and contribute to the provision of engineers equipped to meet sustainability challenges.

An engineering approach to modelling, decision support and control for sustainable systems.

PubMed

Day, W; Audsley, E; Frost, A R

2008-02-12

Engineering research and development contributes to the advance of sustainable agriculture both through innovative methods to manage and control processes, and through quantitative understanding of the operation of practical agricultural systems using decision models. This paper describes how an engineering approach, drawing on mathematical models of systems and processes, contributes new methods that support decision making at all levels from strategy and planning to tactics and real-time control. The ability to describe the system or process by a simple and robust mathematical model is critical, and the outputs range from guidance to policy makers on strategic decisions relating to land use, through intelligent decision support to farmers and on to real-time engineering control of specific processes. Precision in decision making leads to decreased use of inputs, less environmental emissions and enhanced profitability-all essential to sustainable systems.

Marykate O'Brien | NREL

Science.gov Websites

industry partners and NREL programmatic R&D. Sustainable energy/fuels research and development Catalyst Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, 2009 Professional Experience Bio-Process Engineer, NREL, 2013 Professional Research Assistant, University of Colorado, 2007-2012 Engineering Intern, Baxter Healthcare, 2007

Microalgal bioengineering for sustainable energy development: Recent transgenesis and metabolic engineering strategies.

PubMed

Banerjee, Chiranjib; Singh, Puneet Kumar; Shukla, Pratyoosh

2016-03-01

Exploring the efficiency of algae to produce remarkable products can be directly benefitted by studying its mechanism at systems level. Recent advents in biotechnology like flux balance analysis (FBA), genomics and in silico proteomics minimize the wet lab exertion. It is understood that FBA predicts the metabolic products, metabolic pathways and alternative pathway to maximize the desired product, and these are key components for microalgae bio-engineering. This review encompasses recent transgenesis techniques and metabolic engineering strategies applied to different microalgae for improving different traits. Further it also throws light on RNAi and riboswitch engineering based methods which may be advantageous for high throughput microalgal research. A valid and optimally designed microalga can be developed where every engineering strategies meet each other successfully and will definitely fulfill the market needs. It is also to be noted that Omics (viz. genetic and metabolic manipulation with bioinformatics) should be integrated to develop a strain which could prove to be a futuristic solution for sustainable development for energy. Copyright © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Metabolic engineering with plants for a sustainable biobased economy.

PubMed

Yoon, Jong Moon; Zhao, Le; Shanks, Jacqueline V

2013-01-01

Plants are bona fide sustainable organisms because they accumulate carbon and synthesize beneficial metabolites from photosynthesis. To meet the challenges to food security and health threatened by increasing population growth and depletion of nonrenewable natural resources, recent metabolic engineering efforts have shifted from single pathways to holistic approaches with multiple genes owing to integration of omics technologies. Successful engineering of plants results in the high yield of biomass components for primary food sources and biofuel feedstocks, pharmaceuticals, and platform chemicals through synthetic biology and systems biology strategies. Further discovery of undefined biosynthesis pathways in plants, integrative analysis of discrete omics data, and diversified process developments for production of platform chemicals are essential to overcome the hurdles for sustainable production of value-added biomolecules from plants.

Embedding Sustainability and Renewable Energy Concepts into Undergraduate Curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belu, R.; Cioca, L.

2017-12-01

Human society is facing an uncertain future due to the present unsustainable use of natural resources and the growing imbalance with our natural environment. Creation of a sustainable society is a complex multi-disciplinary and multi-stage project, believed to dominate our century, requiring collaboration, teamwork, and abilities to work with respect and learn from other disciplines and professions. Sustainable development means technological progress meeting the present needs without compromising future generation ability to meet its needs and aspirations. It has four aspects: environment, technology, economy, and societal organizations. Students are often taught to deal with technological developments and economic analysis to assess the process or product viability, but are not fully familiar with sustainability and optimization of technology development benefits and the environment. Schools in many disciplines are working to include sustainability concepts into their curricula. Teaching sustainability and renewable energy has become an essential feature today higher education. Sustainable and green design is about designs recognizing the constraints of the natural resource uses and the environment. It applies to all of engineering and science areas, as all systems interact with the environment in complex and important ways. Our project goals are to provide students with multiple and comprehensive exposures to sustainability and renewable energy concepts, facilitating the development of passion and skills to integrate them into practice. The expected outcomes include an increased social responsibility; development of innovative thinking skills; understanding of sustainability issues, and increasing student interests in the engineering and science programs. The project aims to incorporate sustainability and renewable energy concepts into our undergraduate curricula, employing the existing course resources, and developing new courses and laboratory experiments. Approaches described are: 1) redesigning existing courses through development of new materials that still meet the original course objectives and 2) developing upper division elective courses, addressing specific topics related to sustainability, renewable energy and green design.

Sustainability-Related Publications Calendar Years 2015- 2016

DTIC Science & Technology

The Center for the Advancement of Sustainability Innovations (CASI) was established by the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC...and around the globe. CASI teams strive to measure sustainability innovations against the Triple Bottom Line of mission, environment, and community...CASI focuses on cost savings, innovation , collaborative solutions, and continuous learning which directly link sustainability to Army policy and guidance

Sustainable roadway lighting seminar.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-07-01

The objective of this project was to develop and conduct a half-day educational seminar on sustainable : roadway lighting at three locations within New York State: Rochester, New York City, and Albany. : Primary attendees were engineers from the New ...

Exploring Key Sustainable Development Themes through Learning Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cruickshank, Heather; Fenner, Richard

2012-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to examine how a number of key themes are introduced in the Master's programme in Engineering for Sustainable Development, at Cambridge University, through student-centred activities. These themes include dealing with complexity, uncertainty, change, other disciplines, people, environmental limits, whole life…

The Students' Survey of Education for Sustainable Development Competencies: A Comparison among Faculties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biasutti, Michele; Surian, Alessio

2012-01-01

The paper reports research employing a quantitative approach to investigating the competences of university students about educating for sustainable development (ESD). Participants were 467 bachelor students of the following five areas: social sciences, educational sciences, applied sciences, engineering and health sciences. The Student Survey of…

Effective Tutorial Ontology Modeling on Organic Rice Farming for Non-Science & Technology Educated Farmers Using Knowledge Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yanchinda, Jirawit; Chakpitak, Nopasit; Yodmongkol, Pitipong

2015-01-01

Knowledge of the appropriate technologies for sustainable development projects has encouraged grass roots development, which has in turn promoted sustainable and successful community development, which a requirement is to share and reuse this knowledge effectively. This research aims to propose a tutorial ontology effectiveness modeling on organic…

The NanoSustain and NanoValid project--two new EU FP7 research initiatives to assess the unique physical-chemical and toxicological properties of engineered nanomaterials.

PubMed

Reuther, Rudolf

2011-02-01

In 2010, the EU FP NanoSustain project (247989) has been successfully launched with the objective to develop innovative solutions for the sustainable use, recycling and final treatment of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs). The same year, NanoValid (263147), a large-scale integrating EU FP7 project has been initiated and contract negotiations with the European Commission commenced, to develop new reference methods and materials applicable to the unique properties of ENMs. The paper presented will give an overview on the main objectives of these 2 new European research initiatives, on main tasks to achieve objectives, and on the impact on current standardization efforts and technical innovations.

Teaching "Community Engagement" in Engineering Education for International Development: Integration of an Interdisciplinary Social Work Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilbert, Dorie J.; Held, Mary Lehman; Ellzey, Janet L.; Bailey, William T.; Young, Laurie B.

2015-01-01

This article reviews the literature on challenges faced by engineering faculty in educating their students on community-engaged, sustainable technical solutions in developing countries. We review a number of approaches to increasing teaching modules on social and community components of international development education, from adding capstone…

Engineers, Development, and Engineering Education: From National to Sustainable Community Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lucena, J.; Schneider, J.

2008-01-01

In October 2007, Norman Borlaug wrote in "Science" magazine that "more than 200 science journals throughout the world will simultaneously publish papers on global poverty and human development--a collaborative effort to increase awareness, interest, and research about these important issues of our time". Borlaug, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and…

Engineering, global health, and inclusive innovation: focus on partnership, system strengthening, and local impact for SDGs.

PubMed

Clifford, Katie L; Zaman, Muhammad H

2016-01-01

The recent drafting of the Sustainable Development Goals challenges the research community to rethink the traditional approach to global health and provides the opportunity for science, technology, engineering, and mathematical (STEM) disciplines, particularly engineering, to demonstrate their benefit to the field. Higher education offers a platform for engineering to intersect with global health research through interdisciplinary partnerships among international universities that provide excellence in education, attract nontraditional STEM students, and foster a sense of innovation. However, a traditional lack of engineering-global health collaborations, as well as limited faculty and inadequate STEM research funding in low-income countries, has stifled progress. Still, the impact of higher education on development efforts holds great potential. This value will be realized in low-income countries through strengthening local capacity, supporting innovation through educational initiatives, and encouraging the inclusion of women and minorities in STEM programs. Current international university-level partnerships are working towards integrating engineering into global health research and strengthening STEM innovation among universities in low-income countries, but more can be done. Global health research informs sustainable development, and through integrating engineering into research efforts through university partnerships, we can accelerate progress and work towards a healthier future for all.

Development of Chemical Process Design and Control for Sustainability

EPA Science Inventory

This contribution describes a novel process systems engineering framework that couples advanced control with sustainability evaluation and decision making for the optimization of process operations to minimize environmental impacts associated with products, materials, and energy....

An engineering dilemma: sustainability in the eyes of future technology professionals.

PubMed

Haase, S

2013-09-01

The ability to design technological solutions that address sustainability is considered pivotal to the future of the planet and its people. As technology professionals engineers are expected to play an important role in sustaining society. The present article aims at exploring sustainability concepts of newly enrolled engineering students in Denmark. Their understandings of sustainability and the role they ascribe to sustainability in their future professional practice is investigated by means of a critical discourse analysis including metaphor analysis and semiotic analysis. The sustainability construal is considered to delimit possible ways of dealing with the concept in practice along the engineering education pathway and in professional problem solving. Five different metaphors used by the engineering students to illustrate sustainability are identified, and their different connotative and interpretive implications are discussed. It is found that sustainability represents a dilemma to the engineering students that situates them in a tension between their technology fascination and the blame they find that technological progress bears. Their sustainability descriptions are collected as part of a survey containing among other questions one open-ended, qualitative question on sustainability. The survey covers an entire year group of Danish engineering students in the first month of their degree study.

Sustainable, Reliable Mission-Systems Architecture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

O'Neil, Graham; Orr, James K.; Watson, Steve

2005-01-01

A mission-systems architecture, based on a highly modular infrastructure utilizing open-standards hardware and software interfaces as the enabling technology is essential for affordable md sustainable space exploration programs. This mission-systems architecture requires (8) robust communication between heterogeneous systems, (b) high reliability, (c) minimal mission-to-mission reconfiguration, (d) affordable development, system integration, end verification of systems, and (e) minimal sustaining engineering. This paper proposes such an architecture. Lessons learned from the Space Shuttle program and Earthbound complex engineered systems are applied to define the model. Technology projections reaching out 5 years are made to refine model details.

Sustainable, Reliable Mission-Systems Architecture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

O'Neil, Graham; Orr, James K.; Watson, Steve

2007-01-01

A mission-systems architecture, based on a highly modular infrastructure utilizing: open-standards hardware and software interfaces as the enabling technology is essential for affordable and sustainable space exploration programs. This mission-systems architecture requires (a) robust communication between heterogeneous system, (b) high reliability, (c) minimal mission-to-mission reconfiguration, (d) affordable development, system integration, and verification of systems, and (e) minimal sustaining engineering. This paper proposes such an architecture. Lessons learned from the Space Shuttle program and Earthbound complex engineered system are applied to define the model. Technology projections reaching out 5 years are mde to refine model details.

Implementing Sustainable Engineering Education through POPBL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lioe, D. X.; Subhashini, G. K.

2013-06-01

This paper presents the implementation of sustainable engineering education to undergraduate student in Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation, Malaysia (APU) through Project-Oriented Problem Based Learning (POPBL). Sustainable engineering has already been the paramount term where it is no longer limited to environment, but also to the entire lifetime of the individual engineer. To inculcate every engineering individual with sustainability, education is the way to start off.

Assessment Engineering Task Model Maps, Task Models and Templates as a New Way to Develop and Implement Test Specifications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luecht, Richard M.

2013-01-01

Assessment engineering is a new way to design and implement scalable, sustainable and ideally lower-cost solutions to the complexities of designing and developing tests. It represents a merger of sorts between cognitive task modeling and engineering design principles--a merger that requires some new thinking about the nature of score scales, item…

Indicators and Metrics for Evaluating the Sustainability of Chemical Processes

EPA Science Inventory

A metric-based method, called GREENSCOPE, has been developed for evaluating process sustainability. Using lab-scale information and engineering assumptions the method evaluates full-scale epresentations of processes in environmental, efficiency, energy and economic areas. The m...

Engineering Education: Environmental and Chemical Engineering or Technology Curricula--A European Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glavic, Peter; Lukman, Rebeka; Lozano, Rodrigo

2009-01-01

Over recent years, universities have been incorporating sustainable development (SD) into their systems, including their curricula. This article analyses the incorporation of SD into the curricula of chemical and environmental engineering or technology bachelor degrees at universities in the European Union (EU) and European Free Trade Association…

Reforms in Education: The Need for Re-Engineering Teacher Education for Sustainable Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ofoego, O. C.; Ebebe, I. E.

2016-01-01

The paper is concerned with reforms in Education and the need for re-engineering Teacher education in Nigeria for better professionalism and National Development. In the process, key concepts like Teacher Education and professionalism were explained. A brief review of the state of Teacher Education and Development in Nigeria revealed the…

Toward solar biodiesel production from CO2 using engineered cyanobacteria.

PubMed

Woo, Han Min; Lee, Hyun Jeong

2017-05-01

Metabolic engineering of cyanobacteria has received attention as a sustainable strategy to convert carbon dioxide to various biochemicals including fatty acid-derived biodiesel. Recently, Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942, a model cyanobacterium, has been engineered to convert CO2 to fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) as biodiesel. Modular pathway has been constructed for FAEE production. Several metabolic engineering strategies were discussed to improve the production levels of FAEEs, including host engineering by improving CO2 fixation rate and photosynthetic efficiency. In addition, protein engineering of key enzyme in S. elongatus PCC 7942 was implemented to address issues on FAEE secretions toward sustainable FAEE production from CO2. Finally, advanced metabolic engineering will promote developing biosolar cell factories to convert CO2 to feasible amount of FAEEs toward solar biodiesel. © FEMS 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Sustainable NREL: From Integration to Innovation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

2015-09-01

NREL's sustainability practices are integrated throughout the laboratory and are essential to our mission to develop clean energy and energy efficiency technologies and practices, advance related science and engineering, and provide knowledge and innovations to integrate energy systems at all scales. Sustainability initiatives are integrated through our campus, our staff, and our environment allowing NREL to provide leadership in modeling a sustainability energy future for companies, organizations, governments, and communities.

Building a Genome Engineering Toolbox in Non-Model Prokaryotic Microbes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eckert, Carrie A; Freed, Emily; Smolinski, Sharon

The realization of a sustainable bioeconomy requires our ability to understand and engineer complex design principles for the development of platform organisms capable of efficient conversion of cheap and sustainable feedstocks (e.g. sunlight, CO2, non-food biomass) to biofuels and bioproducts at sufficient titers and costs. For model microbes such as E. coli, advances in DNA reading and writing technologies are driving adoption of new paradigms for engineering biological systems. Unfortunately, microbes with properties of interest for the utilization of cheap and renewable feedstocks such as photosynthesis, autotrophic growth, and cellulose degradation have very few, if any, genetic tools for metabolicmore » engineering. Therefore, it is important to begin to develop 'design rules' for building a genetic toolbox for novel microbes. Here, we present an overview of our current understanding of these rules for the genetic manipulation of prokaryotic microbes and available genetic tools to expand our ability to genetically engineer non-model systems.« less

Building a genome engineering toolbox in nonmodel prokaryotic microbes.

PubMed

Freed, Emily; Fenster, Jacob; Smolinski, Sharon L; Walker, Julie; Henard, Calvin A; Gill, Ryan; Eckert, Carrie A

2018-05-11

The realization of a sustainable bioeconomy requires our ability to understand and engineer complex design principles for the development of platform organisms capable of efficient conversion of cheap and sustainable feedstocks (e.g., sunlight, CO 2 , and nonfood biomass) into biofuels and bioproducts at sufficient titers and costs. For model microbes, such as Escherichia coli, advances in DNA reading and writing technologies are driving the adoption of new paradigms for engineering biological systems. Unfortunately, microbes with properties of interest for the utilization of cheap and renewable feedstocks, such as photosynthesis, autotrophic growth, and cellulose degradation, have very few, if any, genetic tools for metabolic engineering. Therefore, it is important to develop "design rules" for building a genetic toolbox for novel microbes. Here, we present an overview of our current understanding of these rules for the genetic manipulation of prokaryotic microbes and the available genetic tools to expand our ability to genetically engineer nonmodel systems. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Perspectives in metabolic engineering: understanding cellular regulation towards the control of metabolic routes.

PubMed

Zadran, Sohila; Levine, Raphael D

2013-01-01

Metabolic engineering seeks to redirect metabolic pathways through the modification of specific biochemical reactions or the introduction of new ones with the use of recombinant technology. Many of the chemicals synthesized via introduction of product-specific enzymes or the reconstruction of entire metabolic pathways into engineered hosts that can sustain production and can synthesize high yields of the desired product as yields of natural product-derived compounds are frequently low, and chemical processes can be both energy and material expensive; current endeavors have focused on using biologically derived processes as alternatives to chemical synthesis. Such economically favorable manufacturing processes pursue goals related to sustainable development and "green chemistry". Metabolic engineering is a multidisciplinary approach, involving chemical engineering, molecular biology, biochemistry, and analytical chemistry. Recent advances in molecular biology, genome-scale models, theoretical understanding, and kinetic modeling has increased interest in using metabolic engineering to redirect metabolic fluxes for industrial and therapeutic purposes. The use of metabolic engineering has increased the productivity of industrially pertinent small molecules, alcohol-based biofuels, and biodiesel. Here, we highlight developments in the practical and theoretical strategies and technologies available for the metabolic engineering of simple systems and address current limitations.

Australian Medical Students' Association Global Health Essay Competition - Global climate change, geo-engineering and human health.

PubMed

Boyages, Costa S

2013-10-07

Rio+20's proposed Sustainable Development Goals have the potential to redefine the course of international action on climate change. They recognise that environmental health is inextricably linked with human health, and that environmental sustainability is of paramount importance in safeguarding global health. Competition entrants were asked to discuss ways of making global health a central component of international sustainable development initiatives and environmental policy, using one or two concrete examples

Concept Maps for Evaluating Learning of Sustainable Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shallcross, David C.

2016-01-01

Concept maps are used to assess student and cohort learning of sustainable development. The concept maps of 732 first-year engineering students were individually analyzed to detect patterns of learning and areas that were not well understood. Students were given 20 minutes each to prepare a concept map of at least 20 concepts using paper and pen.…

77 FR 8284 - Western Digital Technologies, Inc., Hard Drive Development Engineering Group Irvine (Formerly at...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-14

...'s facilities in Asia for engineering positions involving production, design, and development work... that appear to relate to production and design work and one position advertised by Western Digital in... performed new product design and their duties extend to sustaining production. AR 152, 212- 218, 228-231...

Clustering in Engineering Education in the Baltic Region

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahrens, Andreas; Zascerinska, Jelena

2011-01-01

The contemporary situation in the Baltic region, namely, the lack of working places due to the structural problems, a high unemployment rate, the migration of highly qualified people and the low rate of self-employees, demands on innovation as an engine of the economic development with a strong impact on sustainable development in the European…

Social Dimension of Web 2.0 in Engineering Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahrens, Andreas; Zascerinska, Jelena

2010-01-01

Contemporary engineers need to become more cognizant and more responsive to the emerging needs of the market for engineering and technology services. Social dimension of Web 2.0 which penetrates our society more thoroughly with the availability of broadband services has the potential to contribute decisively to the sustainable development of…

Social Dimension of Web 2.0 in Engineering Education: Students' View

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zascerinska, Jelena; Bassus, Olaf; Ahrens, Andreas

2010-01-01

Contemporary engineers need to become more cognizant and more responsive to the emerging needs of the market for engineering and technology services. Social dimension of Web 2.0 which penetrates our society more thoroughly with the availability of broadband services has the potential to contribute decisively to the sustainable development of…

Sustainable Urban Infrastructure Development and the Role of Water Technologies in the U.S.

EPA Science Inventory

Increased climate variability and rapid urbanization are fundamentally changing the urban watershed hydrology and consequently sustainability of water systems. However, our urban planning and engineering practices are based on decades-old hydrological theory and guidance based o...

E3 Success Story - Transforming and Promoting Sustainable Manufacturing in Alabama

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Alabama E3 is expanding to other manufacturing sectors and expanding its scope. Alabama E3 now includes a workforce training and education component and is also developing a new innovation engineering green module that focuses on improving sustainability

Education For Sustainability - Experiences From Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baronos, Athena

2016-11-01

One of the main issues involved is changing people's attitudes, values, behavior and consumption patterns. University education in Greece aims to educate engineers so that besides acquiring theoretical knowledge, they also learn to show competences and are motivated to act accordingly. Educating for sustainable development also entails the development of critical capacities and the necessary skills to be able to identify and formulate problems. This paper outlines the way in which an approach to teaching sustainability has been embodied in the Industrial Design, West Macedonia Greece. More specifically, it describes a course to develop comprehensive case studies and support material in order to aid, Industrial Design students in understanding the sustainability concepts and how solutions can be developed

Investing in Software Sustainment

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-30

colored arrows simply represent a reinforcing  loop called the “ Bandwagon   Effect ”.  This  effect   simply means that a series of successful missions will...the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) developed a simulation model for analyzing the effects of changes in demand for software sustainment and the...developed a simulation model for analyzing the effects of changes in demand for software sustainment and the corresponding funding decisions. The model

Careers in biomedical engineering.

PubMed

Madrid, R E; Rotger, V I; Herrera, M C

2010-01-01

Although biomedical engineering was started in Argentina about 35 years ago, it has had a sustained growth for the last 25 years in human resources, with the emergence of new undergraduate and postgraduate careers, as well as in research, knowledge, technological development, and health care.

Does engineering education need to engage more with the economic and social aspects of sustainability?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitzpatrick, John J.

2017-11-01

This paper questions if engineering educators are producing engineers that are accelerating humanity along an unsustainable path. Even though technology and engineering are important drivers in trying to move humanity towards an environmentally sustainable paradigm, the paper suggests that maybe the most important levers and challenges lie in the economic and social domains. Short case studies of energy efficiency, the experience of the industrialist Ray Anderson and the authors own reflection of teaching chemical engineering students are used to highlight this. Engineering/technological innovation may not be enough and is often counteracted by the rebound effect and the current dominant neoclassical economic paradigm. The paper discusses what engineering educators can do to produce sustainability informed engineers who are better able to engage with the economic and social dimensions of sustainability. Some suggestions for engaging engineering students with the economic and social dimensions of environmental sustainability are provided. Engineers must somehow find ways, not just to influence technological levers (which are very important) but also to influence economic and social levers so that changes in economic and social behaviours can complement and facilitate technological change in moving humanity to an environmentally sustainable paradigm.

Next generation biofuel engineering in prokaryotes

PubMed Central

Gronenberg, Luisa S.; Marcheschi, Ryan J.; Liao, James C.

2014-01-01

Next-generation biofuels must be compatible with current transportation infrastructure and be derived from environmentally sustainable resources that do not compete with food crops. Many bacterial species have unique properties advantageous to the production of such next-generation fuels. However, no single species possesses all characteristics necessary to make high quantities of fuels from plant waste or CO2. Species containing a subset of the desired characteristics are used as starting points for engineering organisms with all desired attributes. Metabolic engineering of model organisms has yielded high titer production of advanced fuels, including alcohols, isoprenoids and fatty acid derivatives. Technical developments now allow engineering of native fuel producers, as well as lignocellulolytic and autotrophic bacteria, for the production of biofuels. Continued research on multiple fronts is required to engineer organisms for truly sustainable and economical biofuel production. PMID:23623045

Building up STEM: An Analysis of Teacher-Developed Engineering Design-Based STEM Integration Curricular Materials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guzey, S. Selcen; Moore, Tamara J.; Harwell, Michael

2016-01-01

Improving K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education has a priority on numerous education reforms in the United States. To that end, developing and sustaining quality programs that focus on integrated STEM education is critical for educators. Successful implementation of any STEM program is related to the curriculum…

Development of a framework for quantifying the environmental impacts of urban development and construction practices.

PubMed

Li, Ke; Zhang, Peng; Crittenden, John C; Guhathakurta, Subhrajit; Chen, Yongsheng; Fernando, Harindra; Sawhney, Anil; McCartney, Peter; Grimm, Nancy; Kahhat, Ramzy; Joshi, Himanshu; Konjevod, Goran; Choi, Yu-Jin; Fonseca, Ernesto; Allenby, Braden; Gerrity, Daniel; Torrens, Paul M

2007-07-15

To encourage sustainable development, engineers and scientists need to understand the interactions among social decision-making, development and redevelopment, land, energy and material use, and their environmental impacts. In this study, a framework that connects these interactions was proposed to guide more sustainable urban planning and construction practices. Focusing on the rapidly urbanizing setting of Phoenix, Arizona, complexity models and deterministic models were assembled as a metamodel, which is called Sustainable Futures 2100 and were used to predict land use and development, to quantify construction material demands, to analyze the life cycle environmental impacts, and to simulate future ground-level ozone formation.

Avoid, Control, Succumb, or Balance: Engineering Students' Approaches to a Wicked Sustainability Problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lönngren, Johanna; Ingerman, Åke; Svanström, Magdalena

2017-08-01

Wicked sustainability problems (WSPs) are an important and particularly challenging type of problem. Science and engineering education can play an important role in preparing students to deal with such problems, but current educational practice may not adequately prepare students to do so. We address this gap by providing insights related to students' abilities to address WSPs. Specifically, we aim to (I) describe key constituents of engineering students' approaches to a WSP, (II) evaluate these approaches in relation to the normative context of education for sustainable development (ESD), and (III) identify relevant aspects of learning related to WSPs. Aim I is addressed through a phenomenographic study, while aims II and III are addressed by relating the results to research literature about human problem solving, sustainable development, and ESD. We describe four qualitatively different ways of approaching a specific WSP, as the outcome of the phenomenographic study: A. Simplify and avoid, B. Divide and control, C. Isolate and succumb, and D. Integrate and balance. We identify approach D as the most appropriate approach in the context of ESD, while A and C are not. On this basis, we identify three learning objectives related to students' abilities to address WSPs: learn to use a fully integrative approach, distinguish WSPs from tame and well-structured problems, and understand and consider the normative context of SD. Finally, we provide recommendations for how these learning objectives can be used to guide the design of science and engineering educational activities.

Development cooperation as methodology for teaching social responsibility to engineers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lappalainen, Pia

2011-12-01

The role of engineering in promoting global well-being has become accentuated, turning the engineering curriculum into a means of dividing well-being equally. The gradual fortifying calls for humanitarian engineering have resulted in the incorporation of social responsibility themes in the university curriculum. Cooperation, communication, teamwork, intercultural cooperation, sustainability, social and global responsibility represent the socio-cultural dimensions that are becoming increasingly important as globalisation intensifies the demands for socially and globally adept engineering communities. This article describes an experiment, the Development Cooperation Project, which was conducted at Aalto University in Finland to integrate social responsibility themes into higher engineering education.

Engineering Students' Sustainability Approaches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haase, S.

2014-01-01

Sustainability issues are increasingly important in engineering work all over the world. This article explores systematic differences in self-assessed competencies, interests, importance, engagement and practices of newly enrolled engineering students in Denmark in relation to environmental and non-environmental sustainability issues. The…

Engineering, global health, and inclusive innovation: focus on partnership, system strengthening, and local impact for SDGs

PubMed Central

Clifford, Katie L.; Zaman, Muhammad H.

2016-01-01

The recent drafting of the Sustainable Development Goals challenges the research community to rethink the traditional approach to global health and provides the opportunity for science, technology, engineering, and mathematical (STEM) disciplines, particularly engineering, to demonstrate their benefit to the field. Higher education offers a platform for engineering to intersect with global health research through interdisciplinary partnerships among international universities that provide excellence in education, attract nontraditional STEM students, and foster a sense of innovation. However, a traditional lack of engineering–global health collaborations, as well as limited faculty and inadequate STEM research funding in low-income countries, has stifled progress. Still, the impact of higher education on development efforts holds great potential. This value will be realized in low-income countries through strengthening local capacity, supporting innovation through educational initiatives, and encouraging the inclusion of women and minorities in STEM programs. Current international university-level partnerships are working towards integrating engineering into global health research and strengthening STEM innovation among universities in low-income countries, but more can be done. Global health research informs sustainable development, and through integrating engineering into research efforts through university partnerships, we can accelerate progress and work towards a healthier future for all. PMID:26790462

Computer-aided design for metabolic engineering.

PubMed

Fernández-Castané, Alfred; Fehér, Tamás; Carbonell, Pablo; Pauthenier, Cyrille; Faulon, Jean-Loup

2014-12-20

The development and application of biotechnology-based strategies has had a great socio-economical impact and is likely to play a crucial role in the foundation of more sustainable and efficient industrial processes. Within biotechnology, metabolic engineering aims at the directed improvement of cellular properties, often with the goal of synthesizing a target chemical compound. The use of computer-aided design (CAD) tools, along with the continuously emerging advanced genetic engineering techniques have allowed metabolic engineering to broaden and streamline the process of heterologous compound-production. In this work, we review the CAD tools available for metabolic engineering with an emphasis, on retrosynthesis methodologies. Recent advances in genetic engineering strategies for pathway implementation and optimization are also reviewed as well as a range of bionalytical tools to validate in silico predictions. A case study applying retrosynthesis is presented as an experimental verification of the output from Retropath, the first complete automated computational pipeline applicable to metabolic engineering. Applying this CAD pipeline, together with genetic reassembly and optimization of culture conditions led to improved production of the plant flavonoid pinocembrin. Coupling CAD tools with advanced genetic engineering strategies and bioprocess optimization is crucial for enhanced product yields and will be of great value for the development of non-natural products through sustainable biotechnological processes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Recent advances in systems metabolic engineering tools and strategies.

PubMed

Chae, Tong Un; Choi, So Young; Kim, Je Woong; Ko, Yoo-Sung; Lee, Sang Yup

2017-10-01

Metabolic engineering has been playing increasingly important roles in developing microbial cell factories for the production of various chemicals and materials to achieve sustainable chemical industry. Nowadays, many tools and strategies are available for performing systems metabolic engineering that allows systems-level metabolic engineering in more sophisticated and diverse ways by adopting rapidly advancing methodologies and tools of systems biology, synthetic biology and evolutionary engineering. As an outcome, development of more efficient microbial cell factories has become possible. Here, we review recent advances in systems metabolic engineering tools and strategies together with accompanying application examples. In addition, we describe how these tools and strategies work together in simultaneous and synergistic ways to develop novel microbial cell factories. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Energy-efficient biomass processing with pulsed electric fields for bioeconomy and sustainable development.

PubMed

Golberg, Alexander; Sack, Martin; Teissie, Justin; Pataro, Gianpiero; Pliquett, Uwe; Saulis, Gintautas; Stefan, Töpfl; Miklavcic, Damijan; Vorobiev, Eugene; Frey, Wolfgang

2016-01-01

Fossil resources-free sustainable development can be achieved through a transition to bioeconomy, an economy based on sustainable biomass-derived food, feed, chemicals, materials, and fuels. However, the transition to bioeconomy requires development of new energy-efficient technologies and processes to manipulate biomass feed stocks and their conversion into useful products, a collective term for which is biorefinery. One of the technological platforms that will enable various pathways of biomass conversion is based on pulsed electric fields applications (PEF). Energy efficiency of PEF treatment is achieved by specific increase of cell membrane permeability, a phenomenon known as membrane electroporation. Here, we review the opportunities that PEF and electroporation provide for the development of sustainable biorefineries. We describe the use of PEF treatment in biomass engineering, drying, deconstruction, extraction of phytochemicals, improvement of fermentations, and biogas production. These applications show the potential of PEF and consequent membrane electroporation to enable the bioeconomy and sustainable development.

Harnessing the Environmental Professional Expertise of Engineering Students—The Course: ``Environmental Management Systems in the Industry''

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ben-Zvi-Assaraf, Orit; Ayal, Nitzan

2010-12-01

More and more technical universities now advocate integrating sustainability in higher education and including it as a strategic goal for improving education's quality and relevance to society. This study examines 30 fourth-year chemical engineering students, graduates of a university course designed to combine their terminological domain with sustainability-oriented goals, focusing on topics like corporate sustainability, developing environmental policy, introduction to ISO 14001—Environmental Management Systems (EMS), and environmental legislation. The study explores their perception of industrial-environmental issues and asks—How did the study unit influence the students' ability to use their preexisting scientific knowledge, while relating to industrial-environmental issues? Our findings indicate that engineering students can develop industrial-environmental awareness, and make use of interdisciplinary knowledge beyond that strictly related to the realm of engineering. Regarding the research's particular aim—i.e. determining the study unit's influence on students' ability to relate industrial-environmental issues to their own field of engineering—the findings indeed show a change in the students' conceptions of environmental elements related to industry. The course graduates became more attentive to the environmental aspects associated with building and opening a factory, and the concepts they raised in connection with the topic gained in variety.

From Concept to Commercialisation: Student Learning in a Sustainable Engineering Innovation Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schafer, Andrea I.; Richards, Bryce S.

2007-01-01

An interdisciplinary sustainable design project that combines membrane technology with renewable energy to provide water for remote communities and developing countries was offered to students for voluntary participation. Through continuous design stages and improvements on several prototypes, laboratory testing and several field trials in…

Supporting Sustained Adoption of Education Innovations: The Designing for Sustained Adoption Assessment Instrument

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stanford, Courtney; Cole, Renée; Froyd, Jeff; Friedrichsen, Debra; Khatri, Raina; Henderson, Charles

2015-01-01

Background: Every year, significant effort and resources are expended around the world to develop innovative instructional strategies and materials to improve undergraduate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics education. Despite convincing evidence of efficacy with respect to student learning, most will struggle to become successfully…

Integrating Environmental Management in Chemical Engineering Education by Introducing an Environmental Management System in the Student's Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montanes, Maria T.; Palomares, Antonio E.

2008-01-01

In this work we show how specific challenges related to sustainable development can be integrated into chemical engineering education by introducing an environmental management system in the laboratory where the students perform their experimental lessons. It is shown how the system has been developed and implemented in the laboratory, what role…

Training Social Competence in Engineering Education: Necessary, Possible or Not Even Desirable? An Explorative Study from a Surveying Education Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emilsson, U. Melin; Lilje, B.

2008-01-01

The aim of this paper is to discuss whether "social competence" is necessary for engineers to contribute to sustainable development and if it is, how to teach communication, group-processes and leadership in technical environments like engineering education programmes. The article reflects on a pedagogical project carried out in the…

From Beginning to End: How Engineering Students Think and Talk about Sustainability across the Life Cycle. Research Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kilgore, Deborah; Jocuns, Andrew; Yasuhara, Ken; Atman, Cynthia J.

2009-01-01

The Academic Pathways Study (APS) is a multi-institution, mixed-methods, longitudinal study which examines engineering students' learning and development as they move into, through, and beyond their undergraduate institutions (Atman et al., 2008; Sheppard et al., 2004). It is part of the Center for the Advancement of Engineering Education…

Design and Development of a Course in Professionalism and Ethics for CDIO Curriculum in China.

PubMed

Fan, Yinghui; Zhang, Xingwei; Xie, Xinlu

2015-10-01

At Shantou University (STU) in 2008, a stand-alone engineering ethics course was first included within a Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate (CDIO) curriculum to address the scarcity of engineering ethics education in China. The philosophy of the course design is to help students to develop an in-depth understanding of social sustainability and to fulfill the obligations of engineers in the twenty-first century within the context of CDIO engineering practices. To guarantee the necessary cooperation of the relevant parties, we have taken advantage of the top-down support from the STU administration. Three themes corresponding to contemporary issues in China were chosen as the course content: engineers' social obligations, intellectual property and engineering safety criteria. Some popular pedagogies are used for ethics instruction such as case studies and group discussions through role-playing. To impart the diverse expertise of the practical professional practice, team teaching is adopted by interdisciplinary instructors with strong qualifications and industrial backgrounds. Although the assessment of the effectiveness of the course in enhancing students' sense of ethics is limited to assignment reports and class discussions, our endeavor is seen as positive and will continue to sustain the CDIO reform initiatives of STU.

Wind Energy Workforce Development: Engineering, Science, & Technology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lesieutre, George A.; Stewart, Susan W.; Bridgen, Marc

2013-03-29

Broadly, this project involved the development and delivery of a new curriculum in wind energy engineering at the Pennsylvania State University; this includes enhancement of the Renewable Energy program at the Pennsylvania College of Technology. The new curricula at Penn State includes addition of wind energy-focused material in more than five existing courses in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, engineering science and mechanics and energy engineering, as well as three new online graduate courses. The online graduate courses represent a stand-alone Graduate Certificate in Wind Energy, and provide the core of a Wind Energy Option in an online intercollege professional Mastersmore » degree in Renewable Energy and Sustainability Systems. The Pennsylvania College of Technology erected a 10 kilowatt Xzeres wind turbine that is dedicated to educating the renewable energy workforce. The entire construction process was incorporated into the Renewable Energy A.A.S. degree program, the Building Science and Sustainable Design B.S. program, and other construction-related coursework throughout the School of Construction and Design Technologies. Follow-on outcomes include additional non-credit opportunities as well as secondary school career readiness events, community outreach activities, and public awareness postings.« less

CIVIL ENGINEERS' ROLES IN PUBLIC WORKS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murata, Teruaki

Recently, the public interests are becoming high in the way of executing public works and the future direction of infrastructure development, which raises nation-wide discussion on these issues. How should we make our country's growth strategy for sustainable development? How should we realize the grand design of infrastructure needed for the implementation of such a strategy? It is obvious that further discussions are needed for these challenging questions. With an aim to promote such discussions, this paper reviews the history of public works and the professional practices (or accomplishments) of our great civil engineers, and discusses the future of public works and the roles of civil engineers based on their origin. Further, in this paper, the author, as the chairman of the Public Works Committee of Japan Civil Engineering Contractors Association, introduces the Association's proposal of "realization of an attractive construction industry." However, for its realization, sustainable institutional arrangements under social consensus are indispensable. Also, individual engineer must establish his/her own identity based on sense of social ethics. It is the author's hope that, through these journals, the professional practices of civil engineers will be widely known to the public with objective logics and discussed to achieve social consensus.

Engineering of microorganisms for the production of biofuels and perspectives based on systems metabolic engineering approaches.

PubMed

Jang, Yu-Sin; Park, Jong Myoung; Choi, Sol; Choi, Yong Jun; Seung, Do Young; Cho, Jung Hee; Lee, Sang Yup

2012-01-01

The increasing oil price and environmental concerns caused by the use of fossil fuel have renewed our interest in utilizing biomass as a sustainable resource for the production of biofuel. It is however essential to develop high performance microbes that are capable of producing biofuels with very high efficiency in order to compete with the fossil fuel. Recently, the strategies for developing microbial strains by systems metabolic engineering, which can be considered as metabolic engineering integrated with systems biology and synthetic biology, have been developed. Systems metabolic engineering allows successful development of microbes that are capable of producing several different biofuels including bioethanol, biobutanol, alkane, and biodiesel, and even hydrogen. In this review, the approaches employed to develop efficient biofuel producers by metabolic engineering and systems metabolic engineering approaches are reviewed with relevant example cases. It is expected that systems metabolic engineering will be employed as an essential strategy for the development of microbial strains for industrial applications. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Environmental engineering education for developing countries: framework for the future.

PubMed

Ujang, Z; Henze, M; Curtis, T; Schertenleib, R; Beal, L L

2004-01-01

This paper presents the existing philosophy, approach, criteria and delivery of environmental engineering education (E3) for developing countries. In general, environmental engineering is being taught in almost all major universities in developing countries, mostly under civil engineering degree programmes. There is an urgent need to address specific inputs that are particularly important for developing countries with respect to the reality of urbanisation and industrialisation. The main component of E3 in the near future will remain on basic sanitation in most developing countries, with special emphasis on the consumer-demand approach. In order to substantially overcome environmental problems in developing countries, E3 should include integrated urban water management, sustainable sanitation, appropriate technology, cleaner production, wastewater minimisation and financial framework.

On the X-34 FASTRAC-Memorandums of Misunderstanding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hawkins, Lakiesha V.; Turner, Jim E.

2015-01-01

Engineers at MSFC designed, developed, and tested propulsion systems that helped launch Saturn I, IB, and V boosters for the Apollo missions. After the Apollo program, Marshall was responsible for the design and development of the propulsion elements for the Shuttle launch vehicle, including the solid rocket boosters, external tank and main engines. Each of these systems offered new propulsion technological challenges that pushed engineers and administrators beyond Saturn. The technical challenges presented by the development of each of these propulsion systems helped to establish and sustain a culture of engineering conservatism and was often accompanied by a deep level of penetration into contractors that worked on these systems.

ETO - ENGINEERING TRADE-OFFS (SYSTEMS ANALYSIS BRANCH, SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY DIVISION, NRMRL)

EPA Science Inventory

The ETO - Engineering Trade-Offs program is to develop a new, integrated decision-making approach to compare/contrast two or more states of being: a benchmark and an alternative, a change in a production process, alternative processes or products. ETO highlights the difference in...

Building 'blue': An eco-engineering framework for foreshore developments.

PubMed

Mayer-Pinto, M; Johnston, E L; Bugnot, A B; Glasby, T M; Airoldi, L; Mitchell, A; Dafforn, K A

2017-03-15

Urbanisation in terrestrial systems has driven architects, planners, ecologists and engineers to collaborate on the design and creation of more sustainable structures. Examples include the development of 'green infrastructure' and the introduction of wildlife corridors that mitigate urban stressors and provide positive ecological outcomes. In contrast, efforts to minimise the impacts of urban developments in marine environments have been far more restricted in their extent and scope, and have often overlooked the ecological role of the built environment as potential habitat. Urban foreshore developments, i.e. those built on the interface of intertidal and/or subtidal zones, have the potential to incorporate clear multi-functional outcomes, by supporting novel ecosystems. We present a step-by-step eco-engineering framework for 'building blue' that will allow coastal managers to facilitate planning and construction of sustainable foreshore developments. Adopting such an approach will incorporate ecological principles, thereby mitigating some of the environmental impacts, creating more resilient urban infrastructure and environments, and maximising benefits to the multiple stakeholders and users of marine urban waterfronts. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using Green Chemistry and Engineering Principles to Design ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The concepts of green chemistry and engineering (GC&E) have been promoted as an effective qualitative framework for developing more sustainable chemical syntheses, processes, and material management techniques. This has been demonstrated by many theoretical and practical cases. In addition, there are several approaches and frameworks focused on demonstrating that improvements were achieved through GC&E technologies. However, the application of these principles is not always straightforward. We propose using systematic frameworks and tools that help practitioners when deciding which principles can be applied, the levels of implementation, prospective of obtaining simultaneous improvements in all sustainability aspects, and ways to deal with multiobjective problems. Therefore, this contribution aims to provide a systematic combination of three different and complementary design tools for assisting designers in evaluating, developing, and improving chemical manufacturing and material management systems under GC&E perspectives. The WAR Algorithm, GREENSCOPE, and SustainPro were employed for this synergistic approach of incorporating sustainability at early stages of process development. In this demonstration, simulated ammonia production is used as a case study to illustrate this advancement. Results show how to identify process design areas for improvements, key factors, multi-criteria decision-making solutions, and optimal tradeoffs. Finally, conclusions were pre

Curricular Reform: Systems Modeling and Sustainability in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Vermont

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rizzo, D. M.; Hayden, N. J.; Dewoolkar, M.; Neumann, M.; Lathem, S.

2009-12-01

Researchers at the University of Vermont were awarded a NSF-sponsored Department Level Reform (DLR) grant to incorporate a systems approach to engineering problem solving within the civil and environmental engineering programs. A systems approach challenges students to consider the environmental, social, and economic aspects within engineering solutions. Likewise, sustainability requires a holistic approach to problem solving that includes economic, social and environmental factors. Our reform has taken a multi-pronged approach in two main areas that include implementing: a) a sequence of three systems courses related to environmental and transportation systems that introduce systems thinking, sustainability, and systems analysis and modeling; and b) service-learning (SL) projects as a means of practicing the systems approach. Our SL projects are good examples of inquiry-based learning that allow students to emphasize research and learning in areas of most interest to them. The SL projects address real-world open-ended problems. Activities that enhance IT and soft skills for students are incorporated throughout the curricula. Likewise, sustainability has been a central piece of the reform. We present examples of sustainability in the SL and modeling projects within the systems courses (e.g., students have used STELLA™ systems modeling software to address the impact of different carbon sequestration strategies on global climate change). Sustainability in SL projects include mentoring home schooled children in biomimicry projects, developing ECHO exhibits and the design of green roofs, bioretention ponds and porous pavement solutions. Assessment includes formative and summative methods involving student surveys and focus groups, faculty interviews and observations, and evaluation of student work.

Critical materials: a reason for sustainable education of industrial designers and engineers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Köhler, Andreas R.; Bakker, Conny; Peck, David

2013-08-01

Developed economies have become highly dependent on a range of technology metals with names such as neodymium and terbium. Stakeholders have warned of the impending scarcity of these critical materials. Difficulties in materials supply can affect the high-tech industries as well as the success of sustainable innovation strategies that are based on sophisticated technology. Industrial designers and engineers should therefore increase their awareness of the limits in availability of critical materials. In this paper, it is argued that materials' criticality can give a fresh impetus to the higher education of industrial design engineers. It is important to train future professionals to apply a systems perspective to the process of technology innovation, enabling them to thrive under circumstances of constrained material choices. The conclusions outline ideas on how to weave the topic into existing educational programmes of future technology developers.

Using Role-Playing Games to Broaden Engineering Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McConville, Jennifer R.; Rauch, Sebastien; Helgegren, Ida; Kain, Jaan-Henrik

2017-01-01

Purpose: In today's complex society, there is an increasing demand to include a wider set of skills in engineering curricula, especially skills related to policy, society and sustainable development. Role-playing and gaming are active learning tools, which are useful for learning relationships between technology and society, problem solving in…

A comprehensive framework for evaluating the environmental health and safety implications of engineered nanomaterials

EPA Science Inventory

Engineered nanomaterials (ENM) are a growing aspect of the global economy, and their safe and sustainable development, use and eventual disposal requires the capability to forecast and avoid potential problems. This review is concerned with the releases of ENM into the environmen...

Development of a Model-Based Systems Engineering Application for the Ground Vehicle Robotics Sustainment Industrial Base

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-02-04

Ground Vehicle Systems Engineering Technology Symposium HC Human Capital HIIT Helsinki Institute of Information Technology UNCLASSIFIED vii...Technology (TKK), and the Helsinki Institute of Information Technology ( HIIT ), the report introduced the concept and the state-of-the-art in the market

Seeing through the lens of social justice: A threshold for engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kabo, Jens David

In recent times the need for educational research dedicated to engineering education has been recognised. This PhD project is a contribution to the development of engineering education scholarship and the growing body of engineering education research. In this project it was recognised that problem solving is a central activity to engineering. However, it was also recognised that the conditions for doing engineering are changing, especially in light of pressing issues of poverty and environmental sustainability that humanity currently faces, and as a consequence, engineering education needs to emphasise problem definition to a greater extent. One mechanism for achieving this, which has been adopted by some engineering educators in recent years, is through courses that explicitly relate engineering to social justice. However, creating this relationship requires critical interdisciplinary thinking that is alien to most engineering students. In this dissertation it is suggested that for engineering students, and more generally, engineers, looking at their practice and profession through a social justice lens might be seen as a threshold that needs to be crossed. By studying the variation present among students in three different courses at three different North American universities, the intention was to understand how students approach and internalise social justice as a perspective on engineering and/or develop their abilities to think critically. A conceptual model to frame the study was developed by combining elements of threshold concept theory and the educational research methodology, phenomenographic variation theory. All three of the courses studied operated on a similar basic pedagogical model, however, the courses were framed differently, with social justice in the foreground or in the background with the focus on, in one case, ethics and in the other, sustainability. All courses studied appeared to be successful in encouraging engineering students to engage in critical thinking and a similar general trend in the development of students' conceptions of social justice was observed in each of the three courses. However, it does appear that if one is interested in developing an articulated understanding of social justice, with respect to engineering, that an explicit focus on social justice is preferable.

Considerations on Educating Engineers in Sustainability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyle, Carol

2004-01-01

The teaching of sustainability to engineers will follow similar paths to that of environmental engineering. There is a strong feeling that environmental engineering is a discipline unto itself, requiring knowledge of chemistry, physics, biology, hydrology, toxicology, modelling and law. However, environmental engineering can also be encompassed…

The development of the ICME supply-chain: Route to ICME implementation and sustainment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furrer, David; Schirra, John

2011-04-01

Over the past twenty years, integrated computational materials engineering (ICME) has emerged as a key engineering field with great promise. Models simulating materials-related phenomena have been developed and are being validated for industrial application. The integration of computational methods into material, process and component design has been a challenge, however, in part due to the complexities in the development of an ICME "supply-chain" that supports, sustains and delivers this emerging technology. ICME touches many disciplines, which results in a requirement for many types of computational-based technology organizations to be involved to provide tools that can be rapidly developed, validated, deployed and maintained for industrial applications. The need for, and the current state of an ICME supply-chain along with development and future requirements for the continued pace of introduction of ICME into industrial design practices will be reviewed within this article.

Computational modeling for eco engineering: Making the connections between engineering and ecology (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowles, C.

2013-12-01

Ecological engineering, or eco engineering, is an emerging field in the study of integrating ecology and engineering, concerned with the design, monitoring, and construction of ecosystems. According to Mitsch (1996) 'the design of sustainable ecosystems intends to integrate human society with its natural environment for the benefit of both'. Eco engineering emerged as a new idea in the early 1960s, and the concept has seen refinement since then. As a commonly practiced field of engineering it is relatively novel. Howard Odum (1963) and others first introduced it as 'utilizing natural energy sources as the predominant input to manipulate and control environmental systems'. Mtisch and Jorgensen (1989) were the first to define eco engineering, to provide eco engineering principles and conceptual eco engineering models. Later they refined the definition and increased the number of principles. They suggested that the goals of eco engineering are: a) the restoration of ecosystems that have been substantially disturbed by human activities such as environmental pollution or land disturbance, and b) the development of new sustainable ecosystems that have both human and ecological values. Here a more detailed overview of eco engineering is provided, particularly with regard to how engineers and ecologists are utilizing multi-dimensional computational models to link ecology and engineering, resulting in increasingly successful project implementation. Descriptions are provided pertaining to 1-, 2- and 3-dimensional hydrodynamic models and their use at small- and large-scale applications. A range of conceptual models that have been developed to aid the in the creation of linkages between ecology and engineering are discussed. Finally, several case studies that link ecology and engineering via computational modeling are provided. These studies include localized stream rehabilitation, spawning gravel enhancement on a large river system, and watershed-wide floodplain modeling of the Sacramento River Valley.

Teaching Sustainable Entrepreneurship to Engineering Students: The Case of Delft University of Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonnet, Hans; Quist, Jaco; Hoogwater, Daan; Spaans, Johan; Wehrmann, Caroline

2006-01-01

Sustainability, enhancement of personal skills, social aspects of technology, management and entrepreneurship are of increasing concern for engineers and therefore for engineering education. In 1996 at Delft University of Technology this led to the introduction of a subject on sustainable entrepreneurship and technology in the course programmes of…

Linking Big and Small Data Across the Social, Engineering, and Earth Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, R. S.; de Sherbinin, A. M.; Levy, M. A.; Downs, R. R.

2014-12-01

The challenges of sustainable development cut across the social, health, ecological, engineering, and Earth sciences, across a wide range of spatial and temporal scales, and across the spectrum from basic to applied research and decision making. The rapidly increasing availability of data and information in digital form from a variety of data repositories, networks, and other sources provides new opportunities to link and integrate both traditional data holdings as well as emerging "big data" resources in ways that enable interdisciplinary research and facilitate the use of objective scientific data and information in society. Taking advantage of these opportunities not only requires improved technical and scientific data interoperability across disciplines, scales, and data types, but also concerted efforts to bridge gaps and barriers between key communities, institutions, and networks. Given the long time perspectives required in planning sustainable approaches to development, it is also imperative to address user requirements for long-term data continuity and stewardship by trustworthy repositories. We report here on lessons learned by CIESIN working on a range of sustainable development issues to integrate data across multiple repositories and networks. This includes CIESIN's roles in developing policy-relevant climate and environmental indicators, soil data for African agriculture, and exposure and risk measures for hazards, disease, and conflict, as well as CIESIN's participation in a range of national and international initiatives related both to sustainable development and to open data access, interoperability, and stewardship.

Peregrine Sustainer Motor Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brodell, Chuck; Franklin, Philip

2015-01-01

The Peregrine sounding rocket is an in-house NASA design that provides approximately 15 percent better performance than the motor it replaces. The design utilizes common materials and well-characterized architecture to reduce flight issues encountered with the current motors. It engages NASA design, analysts, test engineers and technicians, ballisticians, and systems engineers. The in-house work and collaboration within the government provides flexibility to efficiently accommodate design and program changes as the design matures and enhances the ability to meet schedule milestones. It provides a valuable tool to compare industry costs, develop contracts, and it develops foundational knowledge for the next generation of NASA engineers.

Master of Engineering Energy Systems Engineering Program: Smart Campus Energy Systems Demonstration DE-SC0005523

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dodge, Martha; Coulter, John

2014-09-25

Program Purpose and Position: The mission of the Master of Engineering in Energy Systems Engineering program is to invigorate the pipeline of new engineering graduates interested in energy oriented careers and thus produce a new generation of technical leaders for the energy and power industries. Over the next decade, nearly 50% of the skilled workers and technical leaders in the gas and electric utility industries will retire -- a much larger void than the current available and qualified professionals could fill [CEWD, 2012 survey]. The Masters of Engineering in Energy System Engineering program provides an opportunity for cross-discipline education formore » graduates interested in a career in the energy industry. It focuses on electric power and the challenges and opportunities to develop a sustainable, reliable and resilient system that meets human needs in an increasingly sustainable manner through the use of environmentally sound energy resources and delivery. Both graduates and employers benefit from a well-trained professional workforce that is ready to hit the road running and be immediately productive in meeting these challenges, through this innovative and unique program.« less

Sustainable Biofuels Development Center

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reardon, Kenneth F.

2015-03-01

The mission of the Sustainable Bioenergy Development Center (SBDC) is to enhance the capability of America’s bioenergy industry to produce transportation fuels and chemical feedstocks on a large scale, with significant energy yields, at competitive cost, through sustainable production techniques. Research within the SBDC is organized in five areas: (1) Development of Sustainable Crops and Agricultural Strategies, (2) Improvement of Biomass Processing Technologies, (3) Biofuel Characterization and Engine Adaptation, (4) Production of Byproducts for Sustainable Biorefining, and (5) Sustainability Assessment, including evaluation of the ecosystem/climate change implication of center research and evaluation of the policy implications of widespread production andmore » utilization of bioenergy. The overall goal of this project is to develop new sustainable bioenergy-related technologies. To achieve that goal, three specific activities were supported with DOE funds: bioenergy-related research initiation projects, bioenergy research and education via support of undergraduate and graduate students, and Research Support Activities (equipment purchases, travel to attend bioenergy conferences, and seminars). Numerous research findings in diverse fields related to bioenergy were produced from these activities and are summarized in this report.« less

The adaptation of sustainable biojet fuels and its effect on aircraft engine maintenance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohd Noh, H.; Rodrigo, G. A.; Rahman, N. A. Abdul

2016-10-01

Aviation industries are looking into several resources for renewable and sustainable energy. Among those attention is focused in biojet fuel. This paper engages the issue of biojet fuel emissions that increase the environmental concern in the air transport sector. The paper presents the use of biojet fuel and its effect on aircraft engine maintenance through preliminary data collections, and a review of its development process in operations for time and goal. As conclusion, airlines management needs to adapt and adopt the transition to alternative fuels, especially given the global biofuel trend emerging due to the authority approval.

Collaboration across disciplines for sustainability: green chemistry as an emerging multistakeholder community.

PubMed

Iles, Alastair; Mulvihill, Martin J

2012-06-05

Sustainable solutions to our nation's material and energy needs must consider environmental, health, and social impacts while developing new technologies. Building a framework to support interdisciplinary interactions and incorporate sustainability goals into the research and development process will benefit green chemistry and other sciences. This paper explores the contributions that diverse disciplines can provide to the design of greener technologies. These interactions have the potential to create technologies that simultaneously minimize environmental and health impacts by drawing on the combined expertise of students and faculty in chemical sciences, engineering, environmental health, social sciences, public policy, and business.

Multidisciplinary collaboration as a sustainable research model for device development.

PubMed

Chandra, Ankur

2013-02-01

The concurrent problems of research sustainability and decreased clinician involvement with medical device development can be jointly addressed through a novel, multidisciplinary solution. The University of Rochester Cardiovascular Device Design Program is a sustainable program in medical device design supported through a collaboration between the Schools of Medicine and Engineering. This article provides a detailed description of the motivation for starting the program, the current structure of the program, the methods of financial sustainability, and the direct impact it intends to have on the national vascular surgery community. The further expansion of this program and encouragement for development of similar programs throughout the country aims to address many of our current challenges in both research funding and device development education. Copyright © 2013 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Engineering With Nature Geographic Project Mapping Tool (EWN ProMap)

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-07-01

EWN ProMap database provides numerous case studies for infrastructure projects such as breakwaters, river engineering dikes, and seawalls that have...the EWN Project Mapping Tool (EWN ProMap) is to assist users in their search for case study information that can be valuable for developing EWN ideas...Essential elements of EWN include: (1) using science and engineering to produce operational efficiencies supporting sustainable delivery of

Mechanical and Thermal Engineering Sciences | Research | NREL

Science.gov Websites

. Geothermal Energy Developing cost-competitive technologies to advance the use of geothermal energy areas of energy efficiency, sustainable transportation, and renewable power. We provide engineering and scientific expertise to a variety of federal agencies, including the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and

The Design and Development of a Computerized Tool Support for Conducting Senior Projects in Software Engineering Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Chung-Yang; Teng, Kao-Chiuan

2011-01-01

This paper presents a computerized tool support, the Meetings-Flow Project Collaboration System (MFS), for designing, directing and sustaining the collaborative teamwork required in senior projects in software engineering (SE) education. Among many schools' SE curricula, senior projects serve as a capstone course that provides comprehensive…

Introducing Whole-Systems Design to First-Year Engineering Students with Case Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blizzard, Jackie; Klotz, Leidy; Pradhan, Alok; Dukes, Michael

2012-01-01

Purpose: A whole-systems approach, which seeks to optimize an entire system for multiple benefits, not isolated components for single benefits, is essential to engineering design for radically improved sustainability performance. Based on real-world applications of whole-systems design, the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) is developing educational…

Metabolic engineering of Escherichia coli: a sustainable industrial platform for bio-based chemical production.

PubMed

Chen, Xianzhong; Zhou, Li; Tian, Kangming; Kumar, Ashwani; Singh, Suren; Prior, Bernard A; Wang, Zhengxiang

2013-12-01

In order to decrease carbon emissions and negative environmental impacts of various pollutants, more bulk and/or fine chemicals are produced by bioprocesses, replacing the traditional energy and fossil based intensive route. The Gram-negative rod-shaped bacterium, Escherichia coli has been studied extensively on a fundamental and applied level and has become a predominant host microorganism for industrial applications. Furthermore, metabolic engineering of E. coli for the enhanced biochemical production has been significantly promoted by the integrated use of recent developments in systems biology, synthetic biology and evolutionary engineering. In this review, we focus on recent efforts devoted to the use of genetically engineered E. coli as a sustainable platform for the production of industrially important biochemicals such as biofuels, organic acids, amino acids, sugar alcohols and biopolymers. In addition, representative secondary metabolites produced by E. coli will be systematically discussed and the successful strategies for strain improvements will be highlighted. Moreover, this review presents guidelines for future developments in the bio-based chemical production using E. coli as an industrial platform. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The next green movement: Plant biology for the environment and sustainability.

PubMed

Jez, Joseph M; Lee, Soon Goo; Sherp, Ashley M

2016-09-16

From domestication and breeding to the genetic engineering of crops, plants provide food, fuel, fibers, and feedstocks for our civilization. New research and discoveries aim to reduce the inputs needed to grow crops and to develop plants for environmental and sustainability applications. Faced with population growth and changing climate, the next wave of innovation in plant biology integrates technologies and approaches that span from molecular to ecosystem scales. Recent efforts to engineer plants for better nitrogen and phosphorus use, enhanced carbon fixation, and environmental remediation and to understand plant-microbiome interactions showcase exciting future directions for translational plant biology. These advances promise new strategies for the reduction of inputs to limit environmental impacts and improve agricultural sustainability. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Techno-ecological synergy: a framework for sustainable engineering.

PubMed

Bakshi, Bhavik R; Ziv, Guy; Lepech, Michael D

2015-02-03

Even though the importance of ecosystems in sustaining all human activities is well-known, methods for sustainable engineering fail to fully account for this role of nature. Most methods account for the demand for ecosystem services, but almost none account for the supply. Incomplete accounting of the very foundation of human well-being can result in perverse outcomes from decisions meant to enhance sustainability and lost opportunities for benefiting from the ability of nature to satisfy human needs in an economically and environmentally superior manner. This paper develops a framework for understanding and designing synergies between technological and ecological systems to encourage greater harmony between human activities and nature. This framework considers technological systems ranging from individual processes to supply chains and life cycles, along with corresponding ecological systems at multiple spatial scales ranging from local to global. The demand for specific ecosystem services is determined from information about emissions and resource use, while the supply is obtained from information about the capacity of relevant ecosystems. Metrics calculate the sustainability of individual ecosystem services at multiple spatial scales and help define necessary but not sufficient conditions for local and global sustainability. Efforts to reduce ecological overshoot encourage enhancement of life cycle efficiency, development of industrial symbiosis, innovative designs and policies, and ecological restoration, thus combining the best features of many existing methods. Opportunities for theoretical and applied research to make this framework practical are also discussed.

Soil engineering in vivo: harnessing natural biogeochemical systems for sustainable, multi-functional engineering solutions

PubMed Central

DeJong, Jason T.; Soga, Kenichi; Banwart, Steven A.; Whalley, W. Richard; Ginn, Timothy R.; Nelson, Douglas C.; Mortensen, Brina M.; Martinez, Brian C.; Barkouki, Tammer

2011-01-01

Carbon sequestration, infrastructure rehabilitation, brownfields clean-up, hazardous waste disposal, water resources protection and global warming—these twenty-first century challenges can neither be solved by the high-energy consumptive practices that hallmark industry today, nor by minor tweaking or optimization of these processes. A more radical, holistic approach is required to develop the sustainable solutions society needs. Most of the above challenges occur within, are supported on, are enabled by or grown from soil. Soil, contrary to conventional civil engineering thought, is a living system host to multiple simultaneous processes. It is proposed herein that ‘soil engineering in vivo’, wherein the natural capacity of soil as a living ecosystem is used to provide multiple solutions simultaneously, may provide new, innovative, sustainable solutions to some of these great challenges of the twenty-first century. This requires a multi-disciplinary perspective that embraces the science of biology, chemistry and physics and applies this knowledge to provide multi-functional civil and environmental engineering designs for the soil environment. For example, can native soil bacterial species moderate the carbonate cycle in soils to simultaneously solidify liquefiable soil, immobilize reactive heavy metals and sequester carbon—effectively providing civil engineering functionality while clarifying the ground water and removing carbon from the atmosphere? Exploration of these ideas has begun in earnest in recent years. This paper explores the potential, challenges and opportunities of this new field, and highlights one biogeochemical function of soil that has shown promise and is developing rapidly as a new technology. The example is used to propose a generalized approach in which the potential of this new field can be fully realized. PMID:20829246

Soil engineering in vivo: harnessing natural biogeochemical systems for sustainable, multi-functional engineering solutions.

PubMed

DeJong, Jason T; Soga, Kenichi; Banwart, Steven A; Whalley, W Richard; Ginn, Timothy R; Nelson, Douglas C; Mortensen, Brina M; Martinez, Brian C; Barkouki, Tammer

2011-01-06

Carbon sequestration, infrastructure rehabilitation, brownfields clean-up, hazardous waste disposal, water resources protection and global warming-these twenty-first century challenges can neither be solved by the high-energy consumptive practices that hallmark industry today, nor by minor tweaking or optimization of these processes. A more radical, holistic approach is required to develop the sustainable solutions society needs. Most of the above challenges occur within, are supported on, are enabled by or grown from soil. Soil, contrary to conventional civil engineering thought, is a living system host to multiple simultaneous processes. It is proposed herein that 'soil engineering in vivo', wherein the natural capacity of soil as a living ecosystem is used to provide multiple solutions simultaneously, may provide new, innovative, sustainable solutions to some of these great challenges of the twenty-first century. This requires a multi-disciplinary perspective that embraces the science of biology, chemistry and physics and applies this knowledge to provide multi-functional civil and environmental engineering designs for the soil environment. For example, can native soil bacterial species moderate the carbonate cycle in soils to simultaneously solidify liquefiable soil, immobilize reactive heavy metals and sequester carbon-effectively providing civil engineering functionality while clarifying the ground water and removing carbon from the atmosphere? Exploration of these ideas has begun in earnest in recent years. This paper explores the potential, challenges and opportunities of this new field, and highlights one biogeochemical function of soil that has shown promise and is developing rapidly as a new technology. The example is used to propose a generalized approach in which the potential of this new field can be fully realized.

Towards Sustainability and Scalability of Educational Innovations in Hydrology:What is the Value and who is the Customer?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deshotel, M.; Habib, E. H.

2016-12-01

There is an increasing desire by the water education community to use emerging research resources and technological advances in order to reform current educational practices. Recent years have witnessed some exemplary developments that tap into emerging hydrologic modeling and data sharing resources, innovative digital and visualization technologies, and field experiences. However, such attempts remain largely at the scale of individual efforts and fall short of meeting scalability and sustainability solutions. This can be attributed to number of reasons such as inadequate experience with modeling and data-based educational developments, lack of faculty time to invest in further developments, and lack of resources to further support the project. Another important but often-overlooked reason is the lack of adequate insight on the actual needs of end-users of such developments. Such insight is highly critical to inform how to scale and sustain educational innovations. In this presentation, we share with the hydrologic community experiences gathered from an ongoing experiment where the authors engaged in a hypothesis-driven, customer-discovery process to inform the scalability and sustainability of educational innovations in the field of hydrology and water resources education. The experiment is part of a program called Innovation Corps for Learning (I-Corps L). This program follows a business model approach where a value proposition is initially formulated on the educational innovation. The authors then engaged in a hypothesis-validation process through an intense series of customer interviews with different segments of potential end users, including junior/senior students, student interns, and hydrology professors. The authors also sought insight from engineering firms by interviewing junior engineers and their supervisors to gather feedback on the preparedness of graduating engineers as they enter the workforce in the area of water resources. Exploring the large landscape of potential users is critical in formulating a user-driven approach that can inform the innovation development. The presentation shares the results of this experiment and the insight gained and discusses how such information can inform the community on sustaining and scaling hydrology educational developments.

Advancing metabolic engineering through systems biology of industrial microorganisms.

PubMed

Dai, Zongjie; Nielsen, Jens

2015-12-01

Development of sustainable processes to produce bio-based compounds is necessary due to the severe environmental problems caused by the use of fossil resources. Metabolic engineering can facilitate the development of highly efficient cell factories to produce these compounds from renewable resources. The objective of systems biology is to gain a comprehensive and quantitative understanding of living cells and can hereby enhance our ability to characterize and predict cellular behavior. Systems biology of industrial microorganisms is therefore valuable for metabolic engineering. Here we review the application of systems biology tools for the identification of metabolic engineering targets which may lead to reduced development time for efficient cell factories. Finally, we present some perspectives of systems biology for advancing metabolic engineering further. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

What Do EESD "Experts" Think Sustainability Is? Which Pedagogy Is Suitable to Learn It?: Results from Interviews and Cmaps Analysis Gathered at EESD 2008

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Segalas, Jordi; Mulder, Karel F.; Ferrer-Balas, Didac

2012-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to study how experts on teaching sustainability in engineering education contextualize sustainability; also to evaluate the understanding of sustainability by engineering students. The final aim is to evaluate what pedagogy experts believe provides better opportunities for learning about sustainability in…

U.S. Air Force Spent Billions on F117 Engine Sustainment Without Knowing What a Fair Price Was

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-11

repair, or overhaul, as compared to the PW2000 commercial-derivative engine sustainment price for these services in the private sector.17 The House ... sustainment costs. The House committee was also concerned that the Air Force could not determine whether it is paying a fair and reasonable price for...administration. The House committee encouraged the Air Force to seek a competitive strategy to obtain F117 engine sustainment services and also encouraged it to

Implementing a Systematic Process for Rapidly Embedding Sustainability within Chemical Engineering Education: A Case Study of James Cook University, Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheehan, Madoc; Schneider, Phil; Desha, Cheryl

2012-01-01

Sustainability has emerged as a primary context for engineering education in the 21st Century, particularly the sub-discipline of chemical engineering. However, there is confusion over how to go about integrating sustainability knowledge and skills systemically within bachelor degrees. This paper addresses this challenge, using a case study of an…

Dealing with the multidimensionality of sustainability through the use of multiple perspectives - a theoretical framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lönngren, Johanna; Svanström, Magdalena; Ingerman, Åke; Holmberg, John

2016-05-01

The concept of perspectives is important in discussions about the multidimensionality of sustainability problems and the need to consider many different aspects when dealing with them. This paper aims to facilitate discussions among both educators and researchers about didactical approaches to developing students' abilities to deal with the multidimensionality of sustainability challenges through the use of multiple perspectives. For this purpose, a theoretical framework was developed that describes perspectives in terms of a set of general characteristics, as well as a number of ways in which students can develop and reflect on perspectives. Development of the framework was supported by a qualitative content analysis of transcripts from interviews with undergraduate engineering students in Sweden.

Integration of Wind Energy Systems into Power Engineering Education Program at UW-Madison

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Venkataramanan, Giri; Lesieutre, Bernard; Jahns, Thomas

This project has developed an integrated curriculum focused on the power engineering aspects of wind energy systems that builds upon a well-established graduate educational program at UW- Madison. Five new courses have been developed and delivered to students. Some of the courses have been offered on multiple occasions. The courses include: Control of electric drives for Wind Power applications, Utility Applications of Power Electronics (Wind Power), Practicum in Small Wind Turbines, Utility Integration of Wind Power, and Wind and Weather for Scientists and Engineers. Utility Applications of Power Electronics (Wind Power) has been provided for distance education as well asmore » on-campus education. Several industrial internships for students have been organized. Numerous campus seminars that provide discussion on emerging issues related to wind power development have been delivered in conjunction with other campus events. Annual student conferences have been initiated, that extend beyond wind power to include sustainable energy topics to draw a large group of stakeholders. Energy policy electives for engineering students have been identified for students to participate through a certificate program. Wind turbines build by students have been installed at a UW-Madison facility, as a test-bed. A Master of Engineering program in Sustainable Systems Engineering has been initiated that incorporates specializations that include in wind energy curricula. The project has enabled UW-Madison to establish leadership at graduate level higher education in the field of wind power integration with the electric grid.« less

Photocatalytic C–H Activation of Hydrocarbons over VO@g ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

A highly selective and sustainable method has been developed for the oxidation of methyl arenes and their analogues. The VO@g-C3N4 catalyst is very efficient in the C–H activation and oxygen insertion reaction resulting in formation of the corresponding carbonyl compounds and phenols. Prepared for submission to American Chemical Society (ACS) journal, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.

Green materials for sustainable development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Purwasasmita, B. S.

2017-03-01

Sustainable development is an integrity of multidiscipline concept combining ecological, social and economic aspects to construct a liveable human living system. The sustainable development can be support through the development of green materials. Green materials offers a unique characteristic and properties including abundant in nature, less toxic, economically affordable and versatility in term of physical and chemical properties. Green materials can be applied for a numerous field in science and technology applications including for energy, building, construction and infrastructures, materials science and engineering applications and pollution management and technology. For instance, green materials can be developed as a source for energy production. Green materials including biomass-based source can be developed as a source for biodiesel and bioethanol production. Biomass-based materials also can be transformed into advanced functionalized materials for advanced bio-applications such as the transformation of chitin into chitosan which further used for biomedicine, biomaterials and tissue engineering applications. Recently, cellulose-based material and lignocellulose-based materials as a source for the developing functional materials attracted the potential prospect for biomaterials, reinforcing materials and nanotechnology. Furthermore, the development of pigment materials has gaining interest by using the green materials as a source due to their unique properties. Eventually, Indonesia as a large country with a large biodiversity can enhance the development of green material to strengthen our nation competitiveness and develop the materials technology for the future.

Using GREENSCOPE for Sustainable Process Design: An Educational Opportunity

EPA Science Inventory

Increasing sustainability can be approached through the education of those who design, construct, and operate facilities. As chemical engineers learn elements of process systems engineering, they can be introduced to sustainability concepts. The EPA’s GREENSCOPE methodology and...

Engineering Sustainable Solutions Program: Critical Literacies for Engineers Portfolio

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paten, Cheryl J. K.; Palousis, Nicholas; Hargroves, Karlson; Smith, Michael

2005-01-01

Purpose: While a number of universities in Australia have embraced concepts such as project/problem-based learning and design of innovative learning environments for engineering education, there has been a lack of national guidance on including sustainability as a "critical literacy" into all engineering streams. This paper was presented…

Towards a Sustainable Approach to Nanotechnology by Integrating Life Cycle Assessment into the Undergraduate Engineering Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kopelevich, Dmitry I.; Ziegler, Kirk J.; Lindner, Angela S.; Bonzongo, Jean-Claude J.

2012-01-01

Because rapid growth of nanotechnology is expected to lead to intentional and non-intentional releases, future engineers will need to minimize negative environmental and health impacts of nanomaterials. We developed two upper-level undergraduate courses centered on life-cycle assessment of nanomaterials. The first part of the course sequence…

Service engineering for grid services in medicine and life science.

PubMed

Weisbecker, Anette; Falkner, Jürgen

2009-01-01

Clearly defined services with appropriate business models are necessary in order to exploit the benefit of grid computing for industrial and academic users in medicine and life sciences. In the project Services@MediGRID the service engineering approach is used to develop those clearly defined grid services and to provide sustainable business models for their usage.

Developing Enterprise Architectures to Address the Enterprise Dilemma of Deciding What Should Be Sustained versus What Should Be Changed

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harrell, J. Michael

2011-01-01

Enterprise architecture is a relatively new concept that arose in the latter half of the twentieth century as a means of managing the information technology resources within the enterprise. Borrowing from the disciplines of brick and mortar architecture, software engineering, software architecture, and systems engineering, the enterprise…

2014 Trans-Atlantic Research and Development Interchange ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Trans-Atlantic Research and Development Interchange on Sustainability (TARDIS) has been bringing together a select group of scientists and engineers for in-depth discussions on sustainability on a bi-annual basis since 2004. TARDIS 2014 included twenty eight individuals from across the globe discussing issues related to progress towards sustainability. The discussion included policies, technologies, societal structure and norms, business practices and culture, and time-frames. As discussed later, the focus was on four questions: (1) what progress has been accomplished in sustainability? (2) why has there not been more progress in moving societies towards sustainability? (3) what are the road-blocks to progress towards sustainability? (4) what are the policies, technologies, and other changes that are needed to make further progress towards sustainability? One salient conclusion from TARDIS 2014 is that while sustainability has entered mainstream thinking, significant social, economic, technological, and business barriers remain to further progress towards a sustainable path as discussed throughout this report. The Trans-Atlantic Research and Development Interchange on Sustainability is a bi-annual workshop alternatively held in the United States and Austria. The purpose is to bring the best thinkers from across the globe to discuss, explore, and clarify major issues related to sustainability. A report summarizing teh finding and discussions is prepared and d

Educating the Engineer for Sustainable Community Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munoz, D. R.

2008-12-01

More than ever before, we are confronting the challenges of limited resources (water, food, energy and mineral), while also facing complex challenges with the environment and related social unrest. Resource access problems are exacerbated by multi-scale geopolitical instability. We seek a balance that will allow profit but also leave a world fit for our children to inherit. Many are working with small groups to make positive change through finding solutions that address these challenges. In fact, some say that in sum, it is the largest human movement that has ever existed. In this talk I will share our experiences to alleviate vulnerabilities for populations of humans in need while working with students, corporate entities and non governmental organizations. Our main focus is to educate a new cadre of engineers that have an enhanced awareness of and better communication skills for a different cultural environment than the one in which they were raised and are hungry to seek new opportunities to serve humanity at a basic level. The results of a few of the more than forty humanitarian engineering projects completed since 2003 will be superimposed on a theoretical framework for sustainable community development. This will be useful information to those seeking a social corporate position of responsibility and a world that more closely approaches a sustainable equilibrium.

Molecular Breeding of Advanced Microorganisms for Biofuel Production

PubMed Central

Sakuragi, Hiroshi; Kuroda, Kouichi; Ueda, Mitsuyoshi

2011-01-01

Large amounts of fossil fuels are consumed every day in spite of increasing environmental problems. To preserve the environment and construct a sustainable society, the use of biofuels derived from different kinds of biomass is being practiced worldwide. Although bioethanol has been largely produced, it commonly requires food crops such as corn and sugar cane as substrates. To develop a sustainable energy supply, cellulosic biomass should be used for bioethanol production instead of grain biomass. For this purpose, cell surface engineering technology is a very promising method. In biobutanol and biodiesel production, engineered host fermentation has attracted much attention; however, this method has many limitations such as low productivity and low solvent tolerance of microorganisms. Despite these problems, biofuels such as bioethanol, biobutanol, and biodiesel are potential energy sources that can help establish a sustainable society. PMID:21318120

Evolution of environmental responsibility in civil engineering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lovell, C.W.

1995-12-31

Environmental responsibility has evolved slowly and only after abundant evidence of damage to the earth. The global issues constitute a formidable list, all of which require immediate attention and remediation. A basic principle which can unify and cause scientists and engineers to cooperate and synergize is that of Sustainable Development. In this strategy, development takes place with appropriate environmental sensitivity. Unless population growth rates are sharply decreased, man will undoubtedly exhaust food supplies, even given great technology developments. Sustainable technology will involve many ideas and approaches, but an important one is reuse/recycle of current wastes such as scrap rubber tires,more » coal combustion ash, and spent foundry sands. Paving should be recycled, as well, and products of building demolition should also be separated and reused. The author has significant personal interest in this topic, and has given some details in the paper.« less

Architectural design led approach to sustainable tourism for the waterfront development of Kunduchi in Tanzania

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leus, M.; Winkels, P.; Hannes, E.

2018-04-01

In Kunduchi, located in the Kinondoni district of the Dar es Salaam Region, it is of vital importance for the lives and livelihoods of the indigenous people to preserve the typical ecosystems and ensure the identity and economic resilience of these areas. The problem statement is as follows: In what way can sustainable tourism in Kunduchi serve as an engine for economic and social empowerment? How can Kunduchi be an inspiring example for the development of the coast of Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania that is threatened by large-scale tourist infrastructure? How to design sustainable solutions with respect for the local community and the local traditions? Firstly, a theoretical framework that connects sustainable tourism with the sustainable development of coastal areas is defined. Assumptions made on the basis of the literature review provide parameters that play an important role in the architectural concepts. Secondly, a research by design is presented in order to analyze and evaluate different scenarios to outline the opportunities of sustainable tourism on site of Kunduchi. Sustainable waterfront development is an obvious subtitle since the subtle spatial integration of these projects in the urban and water related context of Dares Salaam is of major importance.

Regeneration and Maintenance of Intestinal Smooth Muscle Phenotypes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walthers, Christopher M.

Tissue engineering is an emerging field of biomedical engineering that involves growing artificial organs to replace those lost to disease or injury. Within tissue engineering, there is a demand for artificial smooth muscle to repair tissues of the digestive tract, bladder, and vascular systems. Attempts to develop engineered smooth muscle tissues capable of contracting with sufficient strength to be clinically relevant have so far proven unsatisfactory. The goal of this research was to develop and sustain mature, contractile smooth muscle. Survival of implanted SMCs is critical to sustain the benefits of engineered smooth muscle. Survival of implanted smooth muscle cells was studied with layered, electrospun polycaprolactone implants with lasercut holes ranging from 0--25% porosity. It was found that greater angiogenesis was associated with increased survival of implanted cells, with a large increase at a threshold between 20% and 25% porosity. Heparan sulfate coatings improved the speed of blood vessel infiltration after 14 days of implantation. With these considerations, thicker engineered tissues may be possible. An improved smooth muscle tissue culture technique was utilized. Contracting smooth muscle was produced in culture by maintaining the native smooth muscle tissue organization, specifically by sustaining intact smooth muscle strips rather than dissociating tissue in to isolated smooth muscle cells. Isolated cells showed a decrease in maturity and contained fewer enteric neural and glial cells. Muscle strips also exhibited periodic contraction and regular fluctuation of intracellular calclium. The muscle strip maturity persisted after implantation in omentum for 14 days on polycaprolactone scaffolds. A low-cost, disposable bioreactor was developed to further improve maturity of cultured smooth muscle cells in an environment of controlled cyclical stress.The bioreactor consistently applied repeated mechanical strain with controllable inputs for strain, frequency, and duty cycle. Cells grown on protein-conjugated silicone membranes showed a morphological change while undergoing bioreactor stress. Analyzing change in muscle strips undergoing bioreactor stress is an area for future research. The overall goal of this research was to move engineered smooth muscle towards tissues capable of contracting with physiologically relevant strength and frequency. This approach first increased survival of smooth muscle constructs, and then sought to improve contractile ability of smooth muscle cells.

Renewable energy technology from underpinning physics to engineering application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Infield, D. G.

2008-03-01

The UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) in it's submission to the DTI's 2006 Energy Review reminded us that the ''UK has abundant wind, wave and tidal resources available; its mild climate lends itself to bio-energy production, and solar radiation levels are sufficient to sustain a viable solar industry''. These technologies are at different stages of development but they all draw on basic and applied Science and Engineering. The paper will briefly review the renewable energy technologies and their potential for contributing to a sustainable energy supply. Three research topics will be highlighted that bridge the gap between the physics underpinning the energy conversion, and the engineering aspects of development and deployment; all three are highly relevant to the Government's programme on micro-generation. Two are these are taken from field of thin film photovoltaics (PV), one related to novel device development and the other to a measurement technique for assessing the manufacturing quality of PV modules and their performance. The third topic concerns the development of small building integrated wind turbines and examines the complex flow associated with such applications. The paper will conclude by listing key research challenges that are central to the search for efficient and cost-effective renewable energy generation.

Mission EarthFusing GLOBE with NASA Assets to Build SystemicInnovation in STEM Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Czajkowski, K. P.; Garik, P.; Padgett, D.; Darche, S.; Struble, J.; Adaktilou, N.

2016-12-01

Mission Earth is a project funded through the NASA CAN that is developing a systematic embedding of NASA assets that is being implemented by a partnership of organizations across the US. Mission Earth brings together scientists and science educators to develop a K-12 "Earth as a system" curriculum progression following research-based best practices. GLOBE and NASA assets will be infused into the curricula of schools along the K-12 continuum, leveraging existing partnerships and networks and supported through state departments of education and targeting underrepresented groups, as a systemic, effective, and sustainable approach to meeting NASA's science education objectives. This presentation will discuss plans for the Mission Earth project and successes and lessons learned in the first year. Mission Earth is developing curricular materials to support vertically integrated learning progressions. It develops models of professional development utilizing sustainable infrastructures. It will support STEM careers focusing on career technical education (CTE). And, it will engage undergraduate education majors through pre-service courses and engineering students through engineering challenges.

Microbial fuel cells - Applications for generation of electrical power and beyond.

PubMed

Mathuriya, Abhilasha Singh; Yakhmi, J V

2016-01-01

A Microbial Fuel Cell is a bioelectrochemical device that exploits metabolic activities of living microorganisms for generation of electric current. The usefulness and unique and exclusive architecture of this device has received wide attention recently of engineers and researchers of various disciplines such as microbiologists, chemical engineers, biotechnologists, environment engineers and mechanical engineers, and the subject of MFCs has thereby progressed as a well-developed technology. Sustained innovations and continuous development efforts have established the usefulness of MFCs towards many specialized and value-added applications beyond electricity generation, such as wastewater treatment and implantable body devices. This review is an attempt to provide an update on this rapidly growing technology.

Sustainability Assessment Model in Product Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turan, Faiz Mohd; Johan, Kartina; Nor, Nik Hisyamudin Muhd; Omar, Badrul

2017-08-01

Faster and more efficient development of innovative and sustainable products has become the focus for manufacturing companies in order to remain competitive in today’s technologically driven world. Design concept evaluation which is the end of conceptual design is one of the most critical decision points. It relates to the final success of product development, because poor criteria assessment in design concept evaluation can rarely compensated at the later stages. Furthermore, consumers, investors, shareholders and even competitors are basing their decisions on what to buy or invest in, from whom, and also on what company report, and sustainability is one of a critical component. In this research, a new methodology of sustainability assessment in product development for Malaysian industry has been developed using integration of green project management, new scale of “Weighting criteria” and Rough-Grey Analysis. This method will help design engineers to improve the effectiveness and objectivity of the sustainable design concept evaluation, enable them to make better-informed decisions before finalising their choice and consequently create value to the company or industry. The new framework is expected to provide an alternative to existing methods.

[Theories and methodologies of engineering designs on sustainable agricultural land consolidation project--a case study of Xuemeiyang land consolidation project in Changtai County, Fujian Province].

PubMed

Ye, Yanmei; Wu, Cifang; Cheng, Chengbiao; Qiu, Lingzhang; Huang, Shengyu; Zheng, Ruihui

2002-09-01

The concept and characteristics of engineering designs on sustainable agricultural land consolidation project were discussed in this paper. Principles, basic methods and procedures of engineering designs on agricultural land consolidation project were put forward, which were successfully adopted for designing agricultural land consolidation in Xuemeiyang region of Changtai County, including diversity designs of sustainable land use, engineering designs of soil improvement, roads, ditches, and drains for protecting existent animal environments, and design of ecological shelter-forests in farmland. Moreover, from sustainable economic, ecological and social points, the results of these engineering designs were evaluated based on fouteen important indexes. After carrying out these engineeringdesigns, the eco-environments and agricultural production conditions were significantly improved, and the farm income was increased in planned regions.

Interdisciplinary Industrial Ecology Education: Recommendations for an Inclusive Pedagogical Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharma, Archana

2009-01-01

Industrial ecology education is being developed and delivered predominantly within the domains of engineering and management. Such an approach could prove somewhat limiting to the broader goal of developing industrial ecology as an integrated knowledge base inclusive of diverse disciplines, contributing to sustainable development. This paper…

Space Network Ground Segment Sustainment (SGSS) Project: Developing a COTS-Intensive Ground System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saylor, Richard; Esker, Linda; Herman, Frank; Jacobsohn, Jeremy; Saylor, Rick; Hoffman, Constance

2013-01-01

Purpose of the Space Network Ground Segment Sustainment (SGSS) is to implement a new modern ground segment that will enable the NASA Space Network (SN) to deliver high quality services to the SN community for the future The key SGSS Goals: (1) Re-engineer the SN ground segment (2) Enable cost efficiencies in the operability and maintainability of the broader SN.

Roles of Community Education in the Management and Sustainability of Universal Basic Education in Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oyebamiji, M. A.; Animasahun, M. Olaitan

2012-01-01

Education is seen as the bedrock of a nation's development and for any sustainable programme to take place, human factor, especially the community where the programme is taking place has to be considered. The inputs of the school are from the community and the products of the school service or engineer the community. It is in this context that,…

Problem-Oriented and Project-Based Learning (POPBL) as an Innovative Learning Strategy for Sustainable Development in Engineering Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lehmann, M.; Christensen, P.; Du, X.; Thrane, M.

2008-01-01

In a world where systems are increasingly larger, where their boundaries are often difficult to identify, and where societal rather than technical issues play increasingly bigger roles, problems cannot be solved by applying a technical solution alone. It thus becomes important for engineers to be skilled not only in terms of their particular…

De Novo Metabolic Engineering and the Promise of Synthetic DNA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klein-Marcuschamer, Daniel; Yadav, Vikramaditya G.; Ghaderi, Adel; Stephanopoulos, Gregory N.

The uncertain price and tight supply of crude oil and the ever-increasing demand for clean energy have prompted heightened attention to the development of sustainable fuel technologies that ensure continued economic development while maintaining stewardship of the environment. In the face of these enormous challenges, biomass has emerged as a viable alternative to petroleum for the production of energy, chemicals, and materials owing to its abundance, inexpensiveness, and carbon-neutrality. Moreover, the immense ease and efficiency of biological systems at converting biomass-derived feedstocks into fuels, chemicals, and materials has generated renewed interest in biotechnology as a replacement for traditional chemical processes. Aided by the ever-expanding repertoire of microbial genetics and plant biotechnology, improved understanding of gene regulation and cellular metabolism, and incessantly accumulating gene and protein data, scientists are now contemplating engineering microbial cell factories to produce fuels, chemical feedstocks, polymers and pharmaceuticals in an economically and environmentally sustainable way. This goal resonates with that of metabolic engineering - the improvement of cellular properties through the intelligent design, rational modification, or directed evolution of biochemical pathways, and arguably, metabolic engineering seems best positioned to achieve the concomittant goals of environmental stewardship and economic prolificity.

Does Engineering Education Need to Engage More with the Economic and Social Aspects of Sustainability?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitzpatrick, John J.

2017-01-01

This paper questions if engineering educators are producing engineers that are accelerating humanity along an unsustainable path. Even though technology and engineering are important drivers in trying to move humanity towards an environmentally sustainable paradigm, the paper suggests that maybe the most important levers and challenges lie in the…

State and prospects of solid propellant rocket development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kukushkin, V. Kh.

1992-07-01

An overview is presented of aspects of solid-propellant rocket engine (SPRE) development with individual treatment given to sustainer and spacecraft SPRE technologies. The paper focuses on low-modulus fuels of composite solid propellant, requirements for adhesion stability, and enhancement of the power characteristics of solid propellants. R&D activities are described that relate to the use of SPREs with extending nozzles and to the design of ultradimensional nozzles for upper-stage engines. Other developments for the SPREs include engines with separate loading and pasty fuel applications, and progress is reported in the direction of detonation SPREs. The SPREs using pasty propellants provide good control over thrust characteristics and fuel qualities. A device is incorporated that assures fuel burning in the combustion region and reliable ignition during restarting of these engines.

Integrating Global Hydrology Into Graduate Engineering Education and Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Griffis, V. W.

2007-12-01

Worldwide, polluted water affects the health of 1.2 billion people and contributes to the death of 15 million children under five every year. In addition poor environmental quality contributes to 25 per cent of all preventable ill health in the world. To address some of these problems, at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development, the world community set the goal of halving, by the year 2015, the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. Solving sanitation and water resource management problems in any part of the world presents an interdisciplinary, complex challenge. However, when we attempt to solve these problems in an international context, our technical approaches must be tempered with cultural sensitivity and extraordinary management strategies. To meet this challenge, Michigan Tech has developed a unique global partnership with the U.S. Peace Corps to address our acknowledgement of the importance of placing engineering solutions in a global context. The program has graduated 30 students. Program enrollment is now over 30 and over 20 countries have hosted our students. The objective of this presentation is to demonstrate how this unique partnership can be integrated with graduate engineering education and research and also show how such a program may attract a more diverse student population into engineering. All graduate students enrolled in our Master's International Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering must complete specific coursework requirements before departing for their international experience. In CE5993 (Field Engineering in the Developing World) students learn to apply concepts of sustainable development and appropriate technology in the developing world. In FW5770 (Rural Community Development Planning and Analysis) students learn how one involves a community in the decision making process. A common theme in both courses is the role of woman in successful development projects. Technical specialization allows a student to take coursework in hydrology, water planning and management, and water quality engineering. The 2-3 semester residence on campus is then followed by three months of cultural, language, and technical training with the Peace Corps. After training students complete two years of service in the Peace Corps, typically working as a water/sanitation engineer while also completing a research project related to their Peace Corps experience. Some unique aspects of the Peace Corps experience is that it provides students with cultural awareness, language proficiency, community organizing skills, skills in consensus building and sustainable development, appreciation for technology that is economically and culturally sensitive, and a long-term field experience to develop an indepth overseas research project. Perhaps one of the greatest aspects of the Peace Corps experience is it provides students a basis to consider the social, economic, and environmental limitations of water projects in the developing world. Some examples of research projects that have been integrated into this program are: (a) culturally appropriate watershed planning and management, (b) technical capacity building of water supply systems, and (c) life cycle thinking approach applied to water and sanitation projects.

Teaching Sustainability Analysis in Electrical Engineering Lab Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braun, D.

2010-01-01

Laboratory courses represent an incompletely tapped opportunity to teach sustainability concepts. This work introduces and evaluates a simple strategy used to teach sustainability concepts in electrical engineering laboratory courses. The technique would readily adapt to other disciplines. The paper presents assessment data and a wiki containing…

Ethical considerations of the short-term and long-term health impacts, costs, and educational value of sustainable development projects.

PubMed

Striebig, Bradley A; Jantzen, Tyler; Rowden, Katherine

2006-04-01

There are over 800 seventh to tenth grade students at the College d'Enseignment Generale (CEG) School in Azové, Benin. Like most children in the developing world, these students lack access to clean water and basic sanitation facilities. These students suffer from parasitic infection and health ailments which could be directly offset with short term aid to supply water and medical aid. Promoting proper sanitation and providing the technology to implement water and wastewater treatment in the community will decrease childhood and maternal disease and mortality rates in Azové. However, these measures may take several years to implement and will require a significant investment in the infrastructure of the school. Is it ethical to spend 10,000 dollars towards the long-term goals of providing water and sanitation to the students of CEG Azové, compared to spending the same amount on short-term relief efforts? This paper addresses the ethical dilemma of dealing with immediate medical needs in developing countries while trying to implement sustainable technologies. The views and frustration of students working on the project are discussed, as they realize the monetary and short-term impacts on human health when implementing sustainable technologies. The opportunity costs associated with the education principles of sustainable development were also considered. The anticipated costs and health impacts in the short-term and long-term will be evaluated for a period of 1, 2, 5 and 10 years. Sustainable development requires a new way of thinking, and a long-term approach. These problems will require the dedication of a new generation of engineers, working hand-in-hand with local communities and governments, social scientists, economists, businesses, human rights organizations, other non-government organizations, and international development organizations. Design projects encourage the professional and ethical development of engineers through hands-on involvement in national and international development projects.

Engineering Education for a New Era

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohgaki, Shinichiro

Engineering education is composed of five components, the idea what engineering education ought to be, the knowledge in engineering fields, those who learn engineering, those who teach engineering and the stakeholders in engineering issues. The characteristics of all these five components are changing with the times. When we consider the engineering education for the next era, we should analyze the changes of all five components. Especially the knowledge and tools in engineering fields has been expanding, and advanced science and technology is casting partly a dark shadow on the modern convenient life. Moral rules or ethics for developing new products and engineering systems are now regarded as most important in engineering fields. All those who take the responsibility for engineering education should understand the change of all components in engineering education and have a clear grasp of the essence of engineering for sustainable society.

Study on the Forming Process and Exploration of Concept of Human-Water Harmonization of Sustainable Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Fang; Si, Liqi

2018-05-01

According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, the process of human development and utilization of water resources can be divided into three stages: engineering water conservancy, resource water conservancy and harmonious coexistence between man and water. These three stages reflect the transformation of the idea of human development and utilization of water resources and eventually reach the state of harmony between human being and water. At the same time, this article draws on the experiences of water management under the thinking of sustainable development in the United States, Western Europe, Northern Europe and Africa. Finally, this paper points out that we need to realize the harmonious coexistence between man and water and sustainable development of water resources in the process of development and utilization of water resources, which is the inevitable requirement of the economic and social development.

Developing a new course for public transportation education.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-06-01

Safe, efficient, and accessible public transportation is a key component of livable and sustainable : transportation systems. It is therefore critical that both undergraduate and graduate-level Civil : Engineering students have a better understanding...

Crafting usable knowledge for sustainable development.

PubMed

Clark, William C; van Kerkhoff, Lorrae; Lebel, Louis; Gallopin, Gilberto C

2016-04-26

This paper distills core lessons about how researchers (scientists, engineers, planners, etc.) interested in promoting sustainable development can increase the likelihood of producing usable knowledge. We draw the lessons from both practical experience in diverse contexts around the world and from scholarly advances in understanding the relationships between science and society. Many of these lessons will be familiar to those with experience in crafting knowledge to support action for sustainable development. However, few are included in the formal training of researchers. As a result, when scientists and engineers first venture out of the laboratory or library with the goal of linking their knowledge with action, the outcome has often been ineffectiveness and disillusionment. We therefore articulate here a core set of lessons that we believe should become part of the basic training for researchers interested in crafting usable knowledge for sustainable development. These lessons entail at least four things researchers should know, and four things they should do. The knowing lessons involve understanding the coproduction relationships through which knowledge making and decision making shape one another in social-environmental systems. We highlight the lessons that emerge from examining those coproduction relationships through the ICAP lens, viewing them from the perspectives of Innovation systems, Complex systems, Adaptive systems, and Political systems. The doing lessons involve improving the capacity of the research community to put its understanding of coproduction into practice. We highlight steps through which researchers can help build capacities for stakeholder collaboration, social learning, knowledge governance, and researcher training.

Crafting usable knowledge for sustainable development

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

This paper distills core lessons about how researchers (scientists, engineers, planners, etc.) interested in promoting sustainable development can increase the likelihood of producing usable knowledge. We draw the lessons from both practical experience in diverse contexts around the world and from scholarly advances in understanding the relationships between science and society. Many of these lessons will be familiar to those with experience in crafting knowledge to support action for sustainable development. However, few are included in the formal training of researchers. As a result, when scientists and engineers first venture out of the laboratory or library with the goal of linking their knowledge with action, the outcome has often been ineffectiveness and disillusionment. We therefore articulate here a core set of lessons that we believe should become part of the basic training for researchers interested in crafting usable knowledge for sustainable development. These lessons entail at least four things researchers should know, and four things they should do. The knowing lessons involve understanding the coproduction relationships through which knowledge making and decision making shape one another in social–environmental systems. We highlight the lessons that emerge from examining those coproduction relationships through the ICAP lens, viewing them from the perspectives of Innovation systems, Complex systems, Adaptive systems, and Political systems. The doing lessons involve improving the capacity of the research community to put its understanding of coproduction into practice. We highlight steps through which researchers can help build capacities for stakeholder collaboration, social learning, knowledge governance, and researcher training. PMID:27091979

JOURNEY TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: A ROLE FOR CHEMICAL ENGINEERS

EPA Science Inventory

Since the publication of the report entitled, Our Common Future, under the auspices of the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), also known as the Brundtand Commission, it has been generally acknowledged that the increasing use of non-renewable resources to supp...

National Hydroclimatic Change and Infrastructure Adaptation Assessment: Region-Specific Adaptation Factors

EPA Science Inventory

Climate change, land use and socioeconomic developments are principal variables that define the need and scope of adaptive engineering and management to sustain water resource and infrastructure development. As described in IPCC (2007), hydroclimatic changes in the next 30-50 ye...

An engineer at AeroVironment's Design Development Center inspects a set of silicon solar cells for p

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

An engineer at AeroVironment's Design Development Center in Simi Valley, California, closely inspects a set of silicon solar cells for potential defects. The cells, fabricated by SunPower, Inc., of Sunnyvale, California, are among 64,000 solar cells which have been installed on the Helios Prototype solar-powered aircraft to provide power to its 14 electric motors and operating systems. Developed by AeroVironment under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project, the Helios Prototype is the forerunner of a planned fleet of slow-flying, long duration, high-altitude aircraft which can perform atmospheric science missions and serve as telecommunications relay platforms in the stratosphere. Target goals set by NASA for the giant 246-foot span flying wing include reaching and sustaining subsonic horizontal flight at 100,000 feet altitude in 2001, and sustained continuous flight for at least four days and nights in 2003 with the aid of a regenerative fuel cell-based energy storage system now in development.

Assessing Students' Motivation to Engage in Sustainable Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCormick, Mary; Bielefeldt, Angela R.; Swan, Christopher W.; Paterson, Kurtis G.

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to design an assessment instrument to evaluate students' attitudes toward sustainable engineering (SE). Factors that impact SE beliefs could then be explored. Design/methodology/approach: Using the definition of sustainability from the Brundtland report and expectancy value theory, students' sentiment toward…

Air Force Sustainment Center Logistics and Sustainment Enterprise 2040. Version 2.0

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-15

that was usable on composite structures. The engineer had witnessed paint stripping utilizing commercial handheld lasers leading him to envision a...handheld laser being transformed into a robotically controlled whole aircraft de- paint stripping process removing the operator from the hazardous...indicative of the LSE 2040 funding, development and implementation process. 14 Figure 4 – C-130 Robotic Laser De- Paint Stripping From 2004

Miniaturization as a key factor to the development and application of advanced metrology systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furlong, Cosme; Dobrev, Ivo; Harrington, Ellery; Hefti, Peter; Khaleghi, Morteza

2012-10-01

Recent technological advances of miniaturization engineering are enabling the realization of components and systems with unprecedented capabilities. Such capabilities, which are significantly beneficial to scientific and engineering applications, are impacting the development and the application of optical metrology systems for investigations under complex boundary, loading, and operating conditions. In this paper, and overview of metrology systems that we are developing is presented. Systems are being developed and applied to high-speed and high-resolution measurements of shape and deformations under actual operating conditions for such applications as sustainability, health, medical diagnosis, security, and urban infrastructure. Systems take advantage of recent developments in light sources and modulators, detectors, microelectromechanical (MEMS) sensors and actuators, kinematic positioners, rapid prototyping fabrication technologies, as well as software engineering.

Affordable Development and Demonstrationof a Small NTR Engine and Stage: A Preliminary NASA, DOE and Industry Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Borowski, Stanley K.; Sefcik, Robert J.; Qualls, A. L.; Schnitzler, B.G.; Joyner, C. R.

2014-01-01

Formulation of Affordable and Sustainable NTP Development Strategy is Underway Involving NASA, DOE and Industry. In FY11, Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) was identified as a key propulsion option under the Advanced In-Space Propulsion (AISP) component of NASA's Exploration Technology Development and Demonstration (ETDD) program.

Technological and cross-border mixture value chain of science and engineering of multi-integrative mechatronics-integronics-adaptronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gheorghe, Gh. Ion; Popan, Gheorghe

2013-10-01

This scientific paper presents in national premiere and in original concept of the author, the scientific national and the author's original concept, the technological and cross-border mixture value chain of science and engineering of multi-integrative Mechatronics-Integronics-Adaptronics, as high-tech vector support development, for viability and sustainability of a new intelligent and competitive labour market.

Acquiring Technical Data With Renewable Real Options

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-30

Development, and Engineering Center, 2009). Faced with diminishing sources for M2 .50 caliber machine gun parts , an Army engineering center entered the...data needed for life cycle sustainment functions such as maintenance or competitive spare parts procurement, but this expectation is more complicated...than it seems (DoD, 2015). The needs and timing for competitive spare parts procurement are uncertain, and changes in system configuration or

Introduction of Sustainability Concepts into Industrial Engineering Education: A Modular Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nazzal, Dima; Zabinski, Joseph; Hugar, Alexander; Reinhart, Debra; Karwowski, Waldemar; Madani, Kaveh

2015-01-01

Sustainability in operations, production, and consumption continues to gain relevance for engineers. This trend will accelerate as demand for goods and services grows, straining resources and requiring ingenuity to replace boundless supply in meeting the needs of a more crowded, more prosperous world. Industrial engineers are uniquely positioned…

Teaching Engineering Ethics with Sustainability as Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byrne, Edmond P.

2012-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the engagement and response of students to the teaching of engineering ethics incorporating a macro ethical framework whereby sustainability is viewed as context to professional practice. This involves incorporating a broader conception of engineering than is typically applied in conventional…

Sustaining Liminality: Experiences and Negotiations of International Females in U.S. Engineering Graduate Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dutta, Debalina

2012-01-01

This project examines the intersectionalities of international females in engineering graduate programs of the United States, using frameworks of sustainability and liminality theory. According to Dutta and Kisselburgh (2011) international females in graduate engineering constitute the "minorities of minorities," not only in terms of…

Sustainable biorefining in wastewater by engineered extreme alkaliphile Bacillus marmarensis.

PubMed

Wernick, David G; Pontrelli, Sammy P; Pollock, Alexander W; Liao, James C

2016-02-01

Contamination susceptibility, water usage, and inability to utilize 5-carbon sugars and disaccharides are among the major obstacles in industrialization of sustainable biorefining. Extremophilic thermophiles and acidophiles are being researched to combat these problems, but organisms which answer all the above problems have yet to emerge. Here, we present engineering of the unexplored, extreme alkaliphile Bacillus marmarensis as a platform for new bioprocesses which meet all these challenges. With a newly developed transformation protocol and genetic tools, along with optimized RBSs and antisense RNA, we engineered B. marmarensis to produce ethanol at titers of 38 g/l and 65% yields from glucose in unsterilized media. Furthermore, ethanol titers and yields of 12 g/l and 50%, respectively, were produced from cellobiose and xylose in unsterilized seawater and algal-contaminated wastewater. As such, B. marmarensis presents a promising approach for the contamination-resistant biorefining of a wide range of carbohydrates in unsterilized, non-potable seawater.

Report on the Second Workshop on Sustainable Software for Science: Practice and Experiences (WSSSPE2)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katz, Daniel S.; Choi, Sou-Cheng T.; Wilkins-Diehr, Nancy; Chue Hong, Neil; Venters, Colin C.; Howison, James; Seinstra, Frank; Jones, Matthew; Cranston, Karen; Clune, Thomas L.; de Val-Borro, Miguel; Littauer, Richard

2016-02-01

This technical report records and discusses the Second Workshop on Sustainable Software for Science: Practice and Experiences (WSSSPE2). The report includes a description of the alternative, experimental submission and review process, two workshop keynote presentations, a series of lightning talks, a discussion on sustainability, and five discussions from the topic areas of exploring sustainability; software development experiences; credit & incentives; reproducibility & reuse & sharing; and code testing & code review. For each topic, the report includes a list of tangible actions that were proposed and that would lead to potential change. The workshop recognized that reliance on scientific software is pervasive in all areas of world-leading research today. The workshop participants then proceeded to explore different perspectives on the concept of sustainability. Key enablers and barriers of sustainable scientific software were identified from their experiences. In addition, recommendations with new requirements such as software credit files and software prize frameworks were outlined for improving practices in sustainable software engineering. There was also broad consensus that formal training in software development or engineering was rare among the practitioners. Significant strides need to be made in building a sense of community via training in software and technical practices, on increasing their size and scope, and on better integrating them directly into graduate education programs. Finally, journals can define and publish policies to improve reproducibility, whereas reviewers can insist that authors provide sufficient information and access to data and software to allow them reproduce the results in the paper. Hence a list of criteria is compiled for journals to provide to reviewers so as to make it easier to review software submitted for publication as a "Software Paper."

A Sustainable Energy Laboratory Course for Non-Science Majors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nathan, Stephen A.; Loxsom, Fred

2016-10-01

Sustainable energy is growing in importance as the public becomes more aware of climate change and the need to satisfy our society's energy demands while minimizing environmental impacts. To further this awareness and to better prepare a workforce for "green careers," we developed a sustainable energy laboratory course that is suitable for high school and undergraduate students, especially non-science majors. Thirteen hands-on exercises provide an overview of sustainable energy by demonstrating the basic principles of wind power, photovoltaics, electric cars, lighting, heating/cooling, insulation, electric circuits, and solar collectors. The order of content presentation and instructional level (secondary education or college) can easily be modified to suit instructor needs and/or academic programs (e.g., engineering, physics, renewable and/or sustainable energy).

Sustainability in the Design, Synthesis and Analysis of Chemical Engineering Processes 1st edition (Preface)

EPA Science Inventory

This book preface explains the needs found by the book editors for assembling the state of the art of technical and scientific knowledge relevant to chemical engineering, sustainability, and sustainable uses of wastes and materials management, and to do so in an accessible and c...

Engineering Yarrowia lipolytica as a platform for synthesis of drop-in transportation fuels and oleochemicals

PubMed Central

Xu, Peng; Qiao, Kangjian; Ahn, Woo Suk; Stephanopoulos, Gregory

2016-01-01

Harnessing lipogenic pathways and rewiring acyl-CoA and acyl-ACP (acyl carrier protein) metabolism in Yarrowia lipolytica hold great potential for cost-efficient production of diesel, gasoline-like fuels, and oleochemicals. Here we assessed various pathway engineering strategies in Y. lipolytica toward developing a yeast biorefinery platform for sustainable production of fuel-like molecules and oleochemicals. Specifically, acyl-CoA/acyl-ACP processing enzymes were targeted to the cytoplasm, peroxisome, or endoplasmic reticulum to generate fatty acid ethyl esters and fatty alkanes with tailored chain length. Activation of endogenous free fatty acids and the subsequent reduction of fatty acyl-CoAs enabled the efficient synthesis of fatty alcohols. Engineering a hybrid fatty acid synthase shifted the free fatty acids to a medium chain-length scale. Manipulation of alternative cytosolic acetyl-CoA pathways partially decoupled lipogenesis from nitrogen starvation and unleashed the lipogenic potential of Y. lipolytica. Taken together, the strategies reported here represent promising steps to develop a yeast biorefinery platform that potentially upgrades low-value carbons to high-value fuels and oleochemicals in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner. PMID:27621436

A candidate architecture for monitoring and control in chemical transfer propulsion systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Binder, Michael P.; Millis, Marc G.

1990-01-01

To support the exploration of space, a reusable space-based rocket engine must be developed. This engine must sustain superior operability and man-rated levels of reliability over several missions with limited maintenance or inspection between flights. To meet these requirements, an expander cycle engine incorporating a highly capable control and health monitoring system is planned. Alternatives for the functional organization and the implementation architecture of the engine's monitoring and control system are discussed. On the basis of this discussion, a decentralized architecture is favored. The trade-offs between several implementation options are outlined and future work is proposed.

Metabolic engineering tools in model cyanobacteria.

PubMed

Carroll, Austin L; Case, Anna E; Zhang, Angela; Atsumi, Shota

2018-03-26

Developing sustainable routes for producing chemicals and fuels is one of the most important challenges in metabolic engineering. Photoautotrophic hosts are particularly attractive because of their potential to utilize light as an energy source and CO 2 as a carbon substrate through photosynthesis. Cyanobacteria are unicellular organisms capable of photosynthesis and CO 2 fixation. While engineering in heterotrophs, such as Escherichia coli, has result in a plethora of tools for strain development and hosts capable of producing valuable chemicals efficiently, these techniques are not always directly transferable to cyanobacteria. However, recent efforts have led to an increase in the scope and scale of chemicals that cyanobacteria can produce. Adaptations of important metabolic engineering tools have also been optimized to function in photoautotrophic hosts, which include Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9, 13 C Metabolic Flux Analysis (MFA), and Genome-Scale Modeling (GSM). This review explores innovations in cyanobacterial metabolic engineering, and highlights how photoautotrophic metabolism has shaped their development. Copyright © 2018 International Metabolic Engineering Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Learning analytics for smart campus: Data on academic performances of engineering undergraduates in Nigerian private university.

PubMed

Popoola, Segun I; Atayero, Aderemi A; Badejo, Joke A; John, Temitope M; Odukoya, Jonathan A; Omole, David O

2018-04-01

Empirical measurement, monitoring, analysis, and reporting of learning outcomes in higher institutions of developing countries may lead to sustainable education in the region. In this data article, data about the academic performances of undergraduates that studied engineering programs at Covenant University, Nigeria are presented and analyzed. A total population sample of 1841 undergraduates that studied Chemical Engineering (CHE), Civil Engineering (CVE), Computer Engineering (CEN), Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE), Information and Communication Engineering (ICE), Mechanical Engineering (MEE), and Petroleum Engineering (PET) within the year range of 2002-2014 are randomly selected. For the five-year study period of engineering program, Grade Point Average (GPA) and its cumulative value of each of the sample were obtained from the Department of Student Records and Academic Affairs. In order to encourage evidence-based research in learning analytics, detailed datasets are made publicly available in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet file attached to this article. Descriptive statistics and frequency distributions of the academic performance data are presented in tables and graphs for easy data interpretations. In addition, one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and multiple comparison post-hoc tests are performed to determine whether the variations in the academic performances are significant across the seven engineering programs. The data provided in this article will assist the global educational research community and regional policy makers to understand and optimize the learning environment towards the realization of smart campuses and sustainable education.

Enhancement of environment and resources engineering studies through an international cooperation network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caporali, E.; Tuneski, A.

2012-12-01

Higher education plays a very important role in the modern societies development, enhancing social, cultural and economic development for a sustainable growth, environment respectful. In this framework, the European Commission promotes the TEMPUS-Trans European Mobility Programme for University Studies. Curricula harmonization and lifelong learning programme development in higher education are among the focused aspects of the TEMPUS programme. The DEREL-Development of Environment and Resources Engineering Learning, is a three years TEMPUS project coordinated by the University of Firenze, in cooperation with colleagues of the Ss Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje financed and activated since October 2010. The DEREL Project Consortium consists of 4 EU Universities (from Italy, Greece, Germany and Austria), 7 Partner Countries (PC) Universities (from FYR of Macedonia, Serbia and Albania), and 1 PC Ministry, 4 PC National Agencies, 1 PC non governmental organization and 1 PC enterprise. In cooperation with the same 4 EU Universities and the same Macedonian Institutions, in the period 2005-2008 also a TEMPUS JEP entitled DEREC-Development of Environmental and Resources Engineering Curriculum, was also carried out by the University of Firenze in cooperation with colleagues of the Ss Cyril and Methodius University. Within DEREC a new three-years first cycle curriculum in Environmental and Resources Engineering was opened at the University Ss Cyril and Methodius, Skopje, and the necessary conditions for offering a Joint Degree Title, on the basis of an agreement between the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University and the University of Firenze, were fulfilled. The running DEREL project, as a continuation of DEREC, is aimed to introduce a new, up-to-date, postgraduate second cycle curriculum in Environment and Resources Engineering at the Ss Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, FYR of Macedonia, University of Novi Sad, Serbia and Polytechnic University of Tirana, Albania, following the criteria and conditions for setting up a Joint Postgraduate Degree. The new second cycle degree courses are going to be activated in the academic year 2012/2012. Both the first and second cycle curricula, developed through the co-operation, exchange of know-how and expertise between partners, are based on the European Credit Transfer System and are in accordance with the Bologna Process. In DEREL a second objective is to implement a sustainable regional network aimed to offer lifelong learning seminars for environment and resources engineering education and training of interested stakeholders and organize workshops focused on strengthening the links in the knowledge triangle: environment education-innovation-research, with participation of postgraduate students, public services, enterprises and NGO's. Also, the good collaborative environment created, since 2005, with the project partners can be surely mentioned as an additional valuable objective of the two TEMPUS projects, enabling implementation of a sustainable international network for environment and resources engineering studies enhancement and development.

Bio Diesel Cellulosic Ethanol Research Project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hanlon, Edward A.; Capece, John C.; McAvoy, Eugene

The objective of the project is to create the Hendry County Sustainable Biofuels Center and initiate its research, development, and education programs. The mission is to develop engineering and economic assessment methods to evaluate the natural resources impacts of biomass farming and fuel conversion systems; provide sustainability assessments of specific biofuels productions proposals; develop biomass farming and fuel conversion systems that are compatible with south Florida ecosystem restoration priorities; create ecosystem services opportunities and structures to diversify farm income; monitor the range of research and development activities necessary to the creation of sutstainable biofuels production systems in south Florida, identifymore » gaps in the regional research, and assist in the development and coordination of additional projects to fill out the required knowledge base; prepare the workforce of southwest Florida for employment in biofuels related professions; and assist businesses & governmental design and realize sustainable biofuels projects.« less

Biosensors for Sustainable Food Engineering: Challenges and Perspectives.

PubMed

Neethirajan, Suresh; Ragavan, Vasanth; Weng, Xuan; Chand, Rohit

2018-03-12

Current food production faces tremendous challenges from growing human population, maintaining clean resources and food qualities, and protecting climate and environment. Food sustainability is mostly a cooperative effort resulting in technology development supported by both governments and enterprises. Multiple attempts have been promoted in tackling challenges and enhancing drivers in food production. Biosensors and biosensing technologies with their applications, are being widely applied to tackling top challenges in food production and its sustainability. Consequently, a growing demand in biosensing technologies exists in food sustainability. Microfluidics represents a technological system integrating multiple technologies. Nanomaterials, with its technology in biosensing, is thought to be the most promising tool in dealing with health, energy, and environmental issues closely related to world populations. The demand of point of care (POC) technologies in this area focus on rapid, simple, accurate, portable, and low-cost analytical instruments. This review provides current viewpoints from the literature on biosensing in food production, food processing, safety and security, food packaging and supply chain, food waste processing, food quality assurance, and food engineering. The current understanding of progress, solution, and future challenges, as well as the commercialization of biosensors are summarized.

Synthetic biology approaches: Towards sustainable exploitation of marine bioactive molecules.

PubMed

Seghal Kiran, G; Ramasamy, Pasiyappazham; Sekar, Sivasankari; Ramu, Meenatchi; Hassan, Saqib; Ninawe, A S; Selvin, Joseph

2018-06-01

The discovery of genes responsible for the production of bioactive metabolites via metabolic pathways combined with the advances in synthetic biology tools, has allowed the establishment of numerous microbial cell factories, for instance the yeast cell factories, for the manufacture of highly useful metabolites from renewable biomass. Genome mining and metagenomics are two platforms provide base-line data for reconstruction of genomes and metabolomes which is based in the development of synthetic/semi-synthetic genomes for marine natural products discovery. Engineered biofilms are being innovated on synthetic biology platform using genetic circuits and cell signalling systems as represillators controlling biofilm formation. Recombineering is a process of homologous recombination mediated genetic engineering, includes insertion, deletion or modification of any sequence specifically. Although this discipline considered new to the scientific domain, this field has now developed as promising endeavor on the accomplishment of sustainable exploitation of marine natural products. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

NET-ZERO ENERGY BUILDING OPERATOR TRAINING PROGRAM (NZEBOT)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brizendine, Anthony; Byars, Nan; Sleiti, Ahmad

2012-12-31

The primary objective of the Net-Zero Energy Building Operator Training Program (NZEBOT) was to develop certificate level training programs for commercial building owners, managers and operators, principally in the areas of energy / sustainability management. The expected outcome of the project was a multi-faceted mechanism for developing the skill-based competency of building operators, owners, architects/engineers, construction professionals, tenants, brokers and other interested groups in energy efficient building technologies and best practices. The training program draws heavily on DOE supported and developed materials available in the existing literature, as well as existing, modified, and newly developed curricula from the Department ofmore » Engineering Technology & Construction Management (ETCM) at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC-Charlotte). The project goal is to develop a certificate level training curriculum for commercial energy and sustainability managers and building operators that: 1) Increases the skill-based competency of building professionals in energy efficient building technologies and best practices, and 2) Increases the workforce pool of expertise in energy management and conservation techniques. The curriculum developed in this project can subsequently be used to establish a sustainable energy training program that can contribute to the creation of new “green” job opportunities in North Carolina and throughout the Southeast region, and workforce training that leads to overall reductions in commercial building energy consumption. Three energy training / education programs were developed to achieve the stated goal, namely: 1. Building Energy/Sustainability Management (BESM) Certificate Program for Building Managers and Operators (40 hours); 2. Energy Efficient Building Technologies (EEBT) Certificate Program (16 hours); and 3. Energy Efficent Buildings (EEB) Seminar (4 hours). Training Program 1 incorporates the following topics in the primary five-day Building Energy/Sustainability Management Certificate program in five training modules, namely: 1) Strategic Planning, 2) Sustainability Audits, 3) Information Analysis, 4) Energy Efficiency, and 5) Communication. Training Program 2 addresses the following technical topics in the two-day Building Technologies workshop: 1) Energy Efficient Building Materials, 2) Green Roofing Systems, 3) Energy Efficient Lighting Systems, 4) Alternative Power Systems for Buildings, 5) Innovative Building Systems, and 6) Application of Building Performance Simulation Software. Program 3 is a seminar which provides an overview of elements of programs 1 and 2 in a seminar style presentation designed for the general public to raise overall public awareness of energy and sustainability topics.« less

Sustainability and Ethics as Decision-Making Paradigms in Engineering Curricula

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

El-Zein, Abbas; Airey, David; Bowden, Peter; Clarkeburn, Henriikka

2008-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to explore the rationale for teaching sustainability and engineering ethics within a decision-making paradigm, and critically appraise ways of achieving related learning outcomes. Design/methodology/approach: The paper presents the experience of the School of Civil Engineering at the University of Sydney in…

Biomass as a Sustainable Energy Source: An Illustration of Chemical Engineering Thermodynamic Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohan, Marguerite A.; May, Nicole; Assaf-Anid, Nada M.; Castaldi, Marco J.

2006-01-01

The ever-increasing global demand for energy has sparked renewed interest within the engineering community in the study of sustainable alternative energy sources. This paper discusses a power generation system which uses biomass as "fuel" to illustrate the concepts taught to students taking a graduate level chemical engineering process…

International Space Station Sustaining Engineering: A Ground-Based Test Bed for Evaluating Integrated Environmental Control and Life Support System and Internal Thermal Control System Flight Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ray, Charles D.; Perry, Jay L.; Callahan, David M.

2000-01-01

As the International Space Station's (ISS) various habitable modules are placed in service on orbit, the need to provide for sustaining engineering becomes increasingly important to ensure the proper function of critical onboard systems. Chief among these are the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) and the Internal Thermal Control System (ITCS). Without either, life onboard the ISS would prove difficult or nearly impossible. For this reason, a ground-based ECLSS/ITCS hardware performance simulation capability has been developed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. The ECLSS/ITCS Sustaining Engineering Test Bed will be used to assist the ISS Program in resolving hardware anomalies and performing periodic performance assessments. The ISS flight configuration being simulated by the test bed is described as well as ongoing activities related to its preparation for supporting ISS Mission 5A. Growth options for the test facility are presented whereby the current facility may be upgraded to enhance its capability for supporting future station operation well beyond Mission 5A. Test bed capabilities for demonstrating technology improvements of ECLSS hardware are also described.

A Sustainable, Reliable Mission-Systems Architecture that Supports a System of Systems Approach to Space Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson, Steve; Orr, Jim; O'Neil, Graham

2004-01-01

A mission-systems architecture based on a highly modular "systems of systems" infrastructure utilizing open-standards hardware and software interfaces as the enabling technology is absolutely essential for an affordable and sustainable space exploration program. This architecture requires (a) robust communication between heterogeneous systems, (b) high reliability, (c) minimal mission-to-mission reconfiguration, (d) affordable development, system integration, and verification of systems, and (e) minimum sustaining engineering. This paper proposes such an architecture. Lessons learned from the space shuttle program are applied to help define and refine the model.

EPA's Safe and Sustainable Water Resources Research ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Increasing demands for sources of clean water—combined with changing land use practices, population growth, aging infrastructure, and climate change and variability—pose significant threats to our water resources. Failure to manage the Nation’s waters in an integrated, sustainable manner can jeopardize human and aquatic ecosystem health, which can impact our society and economy.Through innovative science and engineering, the SSWR Research Program is developing cost-effective, sustainable solutions to 21st century complex water issues and proactively developing solutions to emerging concerns. Our research is helping to ensure that clean, adequate, and equitable supplies of water are available to support human health and resilient aquatic ecosystems, now and into the future. To share information on EPA's water research program

An Underground Revolution: Biodiversity and Soil Ecological Engineering for Agricultural Sustainability.

PubMed

Bender, S Franz; Wagg, Cameron; van der Heijden, Marcel G A

2016-06-01

Soil organisms are an integral component of ecosystems, but their activities receive little recognition in agricultural management strategies. Here we synthesize the potential of soil organisms to enhance ecosystem service delivery and demonstrate that soil biodiversity promotes multiple ecosystem functions simultaneously (i.e., ecosystem multifunctionality). We apply the concept of ecological intensification to soils and we develop strategies for targeted exploitation of soil biological traits. We compile promising approaches to enhance agricultural sustainability through the promotion of soil biodiversity and targeted management of soil community composition. We present soil ecological engineering as a concept to generate human land-use systems, which can serve immediate human needs while minimizing environmental impacts. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Future of the Mississippi Delta: Shifting Baselines, Diminishing Resilience, and Growing Non-Sustainability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Detrick, R. S.; Hafner, K.; Davis, J. P.; Wilson, D.; Woodward, R.

2016-12-01

Ecosystems and human communities of the Mississippi delta developed with predictable basin inputs, stable sea level, and as an open system with a high degree of interaction among drainage basin inputs, deltaic plain, and the coastal sea. Human activity changed altered the coast and lowered predictability. Management has become very energy intensive and dependent on cheap resources with more hard engineering and less ecological engineering. Pervasive alteration of the basin and delta and global change have altered the baseline and change is accelerating. Climate change projections include not only sea-level rise, but also more stronger hurricanes, increased large river floods, and more intense rainfall events and droughts. A sustainable Mississippi is outside of the boundaries of the current CMP.

The Future of the Mississippi Delta: Shifting Baselines, Diminishing Resilience, and Growing Non-Sustainability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Day, J.

2017-12-01

Ecosystems and human communities of the Mississippi delta developed with predictable basin inputs, stable sea level, and as an open system with a high degree of interaction among drainage basin inputs, deltaic plain, and the coastal sea. Human activity changed altered the coast and lowered predictability. Management has become very energy intensive and dependent on cheap resources with more hard engineering and less ecological engineering. Pervasive alteration of the basin and delta and global change have altered the baseline and change is accelerating. Climate change projections include not only sea-level rise, but also more stronger hurricanes, increased large river floods, and more intense rainfall events and droughts. A sustainable Mississippi is outside of the boundaries of the current CMP.

Contingency Contractor Optimization Phase 3 Sustainment Platform Requirements - Contingency Contractor Optimization Tool - Prototype

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Durfee, Justin David; Frazier, Christopher Rawls; Bandlow, Alisa

Sandia National Laboratories (Sandia) is in Phase 3 Sustainment of development of a prototype tool, currently referred to as the Contingency Contractor Optimization Tool - Prototype (CCOTP), under the direction of OSD Program Support. CCOT-P is intended to help provide senior Department of Defense (DoD) leaders with comprehensive insight into the global availability, readiness and capabilities of the Total Force Mix. The CCOT-P will allow senior decision makers to quickly and accurately assess the impacts, risks and mitigating strategies for proposed changes to force/capabilities assignments, apportionments and allocations options, focusing specifically on contingency contractor planning. During Phase 2 of themore » program, conducted during fiscal year 2012, Sandia developed an electronic storyboard prototype of the Contingency Contractor Optimization Tool that can be used for communication with senior decision makers and other Operational Contract Support (OCS) stakeholders. Phase 3 used feedback from demonstrations of the electronic storyboard prototype to develop an engineering prototype for planners to evaluate. Sandia worked with the DoD and Joint Chiefs of Staff strategic planning community to get feedback and input to ensure that the engineering prototype was developed to closely align with future planning needs. The intended deployment environment was also a key consideration as this prototype was developed. Initial release of the engineering prototype was done on servers at Sandia in the middle of Phase 3. In 2013, the tool was installed on a production pilot server managed by the OUSD(AT&L) eBusiness Center. The purpose of this document is to specify the CCOT-P engineering prototype platform requirements as of May 2016. Sandia developed the CCOT-P engineering prototype using common technologies to minimize the likelihood of deployment issues. CCOT-P engineering prototype was architected and designed to be as independent as possible of the major deployment components such as the server hardware, the server operating system, the database, and the web server. This document describes the platform requirements, the architecture, and the implementation details of the CCOT-P engineering prototype.« less

FY 2009 SERDP Annual Report

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-01

Focus Areas: Environmental Restoration - Phytoremediation for the Containment and Treatment of Energetic and Propellant Material Releases on Testing...and Training Ranges, and a second project, Sustainable Range Management of RDX and TNT by Phytoremediation with Engineered Plants; Munitions...and Engineering Laboratory  Sustainable Range Management of RDX and TNT by Phytoremediation with Engineered Plants (ER-1498), University of York

Can GM sorghum impact Africa?

PubMed

Botha, Gerda M; Viljoen, Christopher D

2008-02-01

It is said that genetic modification (GM) of grain sorghum has the potential to alleviate hunger in Africa. To this end, millions of dollars have been committed to developing GM sorghum. Current developments in the genetic engineering of sorghum are similar to efforts to improve cassava and other traditional African crops, as well as rice in Asia. On closer analysis, GM sorghum is faced with the same limitations as 'Golden Rice' (GM rice) in the context of combating vitamin A deficiency (VAD) efficiently and sustainably. Thus, it is questionable whether the cost of developing GM sorghum can be justified when compared to the cost of investing in sustainable agricultural practice in Africa.

An integrated biotechnology platform for developing sustainable chemical processes.

PubMed

Barton, Nelson R; Burgard, Anthony P; Burk, Mark J; Crater, Jason S; Osterhout, Robin E; Pharkya, Priti; Steer, Brian A; Sun, Jun; Trawick, John D; Van Dien, Stephen J; Yang, Tae Hoon; Yim, Harry

2015-03-01

Genomatica has established an integrated computational/experimental metabolic engineering platform to design, create, and optimize novel high performance organisms and bioprocesses. Here we present our platform and its use to develop E. coli strains for production of the industrial chemical 1,4-butanediol (BDO) from sugars. A series of examples are given to demonstrate how a rational approach to strain engineering, including carefully designed diagnostic experiments, provided critical insights about pathway bottlenecks, byproducts, expression balancing, and commercial robustness, leading to a superior BDO production strain and process.

Life cycle models of conventional and alternative-fueled automobiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maclean, Heather Louise

This thesis reports life cycle inventories of internal combustion engine automobiles with feasible near term fuel/engine combinations. These combinations include unleaded gasoline, California Phase 2 Reformulated Gasoline, alcohol and gasoline blends (85 percent methanol or ethanol combined with 15 percent gasoline), and compressed natural gas in spark ignition direct and indirect injection engines. Additionally, I consider neat methanol and neat ethanol in spark ignition direct injection engines and diesel fuel in compression ignition direct and indirect injection engines. I investigate the potential of the above options to have a lower environmental impact than conventional gasoline-fueled automobiles, while still retaining comparable pricing and consumer benefits. More broadly, the objective is to assess whether the use of any of the alternative systems will help to lead to the goal of a more sustainable personal transportation system. The principal tool is the Economic Input-Output Life Cycle Analysis model which includes inventories of economic data, environmental discharges, and resource use. I develop a life cycle assessment framework to assemble the array of data generated by the model into three aggregate assessment parameters; economics, externalities, and vehicle attributes. The first step is to develop a set of 'comparable cars' with the alternative fuel/engine combinations, based on characteristics of a conventional 1998 gasoline-fueled Ford Taurus sedan, the baseline vehicle for the analyses. I calculate the assessment parameters assuming that these comparable cars can attain the potential thermal efficiencies estimated by experts for each fuel/engine combination. To a first approximation, there are no significant differences in the assessment parameters for the vehicle manufacture, service, fixed costs, and the end-of-life for any of the options. However, there are differences in the vehicle operation life cycle components and the state of technology development for the combinations. Overall, none of the alternatives emerges as a clear winner, lowering the externalities and improving sustainability, while considering technology issues and vehicle attributes. The majority of the alternatives are not likely to displace the baseline automobile. However, the attractiveness of the alternatives depends on the focus of future regulations, government priorities, and technology development. If long-term global sustainability is the principal concern, then improvements in fuel economy alone will not provide the level of reduction in impact required. A switch to renewable fuels (e.g., alcohols or diesel produced from biomass) to power the vehicles will likely be necessary. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Sustaining liminality: Experiences and negotiations of international females in U.S. engineering graduate programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutta, Debalina

This project examines the intersectionalities of international females in engineering graduate programs of the United States, using frameworks of sustainability and liminality theory. According to Dutta and Kisselburgh (2011) international females in graduate engineering constitute the minorities of minorities, not only in terms of their status as international students but also by their underrepresentation as women in engineering (Faulkner, 2009). Research regarding international female graduate students tends to be categorized as the experiences of international students in the U.S. (Lee & Rice, 2007), or as the struggles of female engineers in engineering disciplines (Tonso, 2007). Therefore, this project aims to distinguish the unique population of female engineers of international origin from holistic studies of international students, and attempts to draw out and understand the experiences of international female students in U.S. engineering graduate programs. Dutta and Kisselburgh (2011) found that female engineers who are international in origin exist in liminal states indefinitely. This liminal nature has been described under the theory of liminality (Turner, 1967) which posits that when transitioning from one life-changing event to another (such as birth, death, marriage), individuals go through a transformatory phase where they are subjected to invisibility, vulnerability, and a feeling of loss. Although Turner posited this phase as transcendental and temporary, Dutta and Kisselburgh (2011) suggest the liminal period can be more permanent in contemporary global societies. In other words, liminal experiences of vulnerability and structural invisibility may be sustained experiences of international female engineering students. Furthermore, the project attends to the overlaps, tensions and challenging experiences faced by international females in surviving engineering graduate program. To achieve this goal, liminality theory is limited in accounting for how vulnerable individuals reframe their agentic outcomes to make meaning of their marginalized existence. Therefore, I integrate constructs of sustainability with liminality theory in order to provide a framework to understand the ability of vulnerable individuals (in this case, international female engineers) to persist within marginalizing social structures. Sustainability has been a useful framework to understand how organizations practice self-efficacy (Butler, 2001) and has the potential to understand the negotiations and discursive practices enacted by international women engineers by examining their everyday meaning-making practices. For international female engineers who are in between spaces of belonging, it becomes important to understand how they navigate these contested spaces and how they transform the spaces to their advantage by persisting in their struggles with the spaces. Through interviews and focus groups, I explored the ways in which international female engineering graduate students negotiate the tensions they experience through interviews and focus groups, attending to the underlying processes of sustenance through which international female engineering students negotiate their liminal status. In doing so, I introduce and discuss five themes of the practice of sustainability in negotiating liminality: (a) crystallizing engineering identities, (b) (re)constructing inclusion, (c) enduring hardships, (d) rearchitecting (in)visibility, and (e) (re)engineering efficacy. The contributions of this research lie in the amalgamation of liminality and sustainability theories to understand the discourses through which international women engineering graduate students negotiate the transitions they experience in U.S. engineering programs.

Development of a short length combustor for a supersonic cruise turbofan engine using a 90 deg sector of a full annulus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clements, T. R.

1972-01-01

A performance development program has been conducted on a short length, double-annular, ram-induction combustor. The combustor was designed for a large augmented turbofan engine capable of sustained flight speeds up to Mach 3.0. Performance tests were conducted at an inlet temperature and Mach number simulating engine sea level takeoff conditions. At the design temperature rise of 1600 F, combustion efficiency was 100%, pattern factor was 0.20, and combined diffuser-combustor pressure loss was 4.4% or 1.12 times the diffuser inlet velocity head. A temperature rise in excess of 2400 F with a combustion efficiency of 94% was demonstrated.

From Science, Engineering and Innovation to Sustainable Development: The Path Forward

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turekian, Vaughan

2017-01-01

In September 2015, world leaders committed to a new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aimed at ending poverty, hunger and inequality, taking action on the environment and climate change, and improving access to health and education. Science, technology and innovation (STI) underpin the achievement of all of the SDGs, whether it is expanding access to health services and quality education; improving food security; and access to clean water and sanitation; building transparent, accountable, and stable institutions; empowering women and minorities; or promoting the sustainable management and use of renewable energy and natural resources. The goals speak to a broad range of directions the world needs to go to promote economic, environmental, and social well-being. The goals are interdependent and achieving one will only be possible by achieving all. We have an obligation to take necessary steps that integrate all the different stakeholders and constant advances in innovation, science, and technology.

Multiplex CRISPR/Cas9-based genome engineering from a single lentiviral vector

PubMed Central

Kabadi, Ami M.; Ousterout, David G.; Hilton, Isaac B.; Gersbach, Charles A.

2014-01-01

Engineered DNA-binding proteins that manipulate the human genome and transcriptome have enabled rapid advances in biomedical research. In particular, the RNA-guided CRISPR/Cas9 system has recently been engineered to create site-specific double-strand breaks for genome editing or to direct targeted transcriptional regulation. A unique capability of the CRISPR/Cas9 system is multiplex genome engineering by delivering a single Cas9 enzyme and two or more single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) targeted to distinct genomic sites. This approach can be used to simultaneously create multiple DNA breaks or to target multiple transcriptional activators to a single promoter for synergistic enhancement of gene induction. To address the need for uniform and sustained delivery of multiplex CRISPR/Cas9-based genome engineering tools, we developed a single lentiviral system to express a Cas9 variant, a reporter gene and up to four sgRNAs from independent RNA polymerase III promoters that are incorporated into the vector by a convenient Golden Gate cloning method. Each sgRNA is efficiently expressed and can mediate multiplex gene editing and sustained transcriptional activation in immortalized and primary human cells. This delivery system will be significant to enabling the potential of CRISPR/Cas9-based multiplex genome engineering in diverse cell types. PMID:25122746

DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNITY POWER FROM SUSTAINABLE SMALL HYDRO POWER SYSTEMS – A CAPACITY BUILDING PROJECT IN BANGANG, CAMEROON

EPA Science Inventory

The hydro-turbine developed in Phase I will be fabricated on-site in Bangang, Cameroon using locally sourced materials. Data of the performance tests will be collected and analyzed using appropriate engineering analysis tools. A second trip will be planned for extensive testin...

Engineers for Rural Development: Europe and Latin America Getting in Tune.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marechal, Gilles

The European program Amerique Latine-Formation Academique (ALFA) has provided 12 Latin-American and 10 European universities and colleges with a framework for creating an International Master in Rural Development. Globalization, regional integration, and sustainability have created a new set of questions for rural areas, both in Europe and in…

Innovation in user-centered skills and performance improvement for sustainable complex service systems.

PubMed

Karwowski, Waldemar; Ahram, Tareq Z

2012-01-01

In order to leverage individual and organizational learning and to remain competitive in current turbulent markets it is important for employees, managers, planners and leaders to perform at high levels over time. Employee competence and skills are extremely important matters in view of the general shortage of talent and the mobility of employees with talent. Two factors emerged to have the greatest impact on the competitiveness of complex service systems: improving managerial and employee's knowledge attainment for skills, and improving the training and development of the workforce. This paper introduces the knowledge-based user-centered service design approach for sustainable skill and performance improvement in education, design and modeling of the next generation of complex service systems. The rest of the paper cover topics in human factors and sustainable business process modeling for the service industry, and illustrates the user-centered service system development cycle with the integration of systems engineering concepts in service systems. A roadmap for designing service systems of the future is discussed. The framework introduced in this paper is based on key user-centered design principles and systems engineering applications to support service competitiveness.

BIM: Enabling Sustainability and Asset Management through Knowledge Management

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is the use of virtual building information models to develop building design solutions and design documentation and to analyse construction processes. Recent advances in IT have enabled advanced knowledge management, which in turn facilitates sustainability and improves asset management in the civil construction industry. There are several important qualifiers and some disadvantages of the current suite of technologies. This paper outlines the benefits, enablers, and barriers associated with BIM and makes suggestions about how these issues may be addressed. The paper highlights the advantages of BIM, particularly the increased utility and speed, enhanced fault finding in all construction phases, and enhanced collaborations and visualisation of data. The paper additionally identifies a range of issues concerning the implementation of BIM as follows: IP, liability, risks, and contracts and the authenticity of users. Implementing BIM requires investment in new technology, skills training, and development of new ways of collaboration and Trade Practices concerns. However, when these challenges are overcome, BIM as a new information technology promises a new level of collaborative engineering knowledge management, designed to facilitate sustainability and asset management issues in design, construction, asset management practices, and eventually decommissioning for the civil engineering industry. PMID:24324392

BIM: enabling sustainability and asset management through knowledge management.

PubMed

Kivits, Robbert Anton; Furneaux, Craig

2013-11-10

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is the use of virtual building information models to develop building design solutions and design documentation and to analyse construction processes. Recent advances in IT have enabled advanced knowledge management, which in turn facilitates sustainability and improves asset management in the civil construction industry. There are several important qualifiers and some disadvantages of the current suite of technologies. This paper outlines the benefits, enablers, and barriers associated with BIM and makes suggestions about how these issues may be addressed. The paper highlights the advantages of BIM, particularly the increased utility and speed, enhanced fault finding in all construction phases, and enhanced collaborations and visualisation of data. The paper additionally identifies a range of issues concerning the implementation of BIM as follows: IP, liability, risks, and contracts and the authenticity of users. Implementing BIM requires investment in new technology, skills training, and development of new ways of collaboration and Trade Practices concerns. However, when these challenges are overcome, BIM as a new information technology promises a new level of collaborative engineering knowledge management, designed to facilitate sustainability and asset management issues in design, construction, asset management practices, and eventually decommissioning for the civil engineering industry.

Marshall Space Flight Center Ground Systems Development and Integration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wade, Gina

2016-01-01

Ground Systems Development and Integration performs a variety of tasks in support of the Mission Operations Laboratory (MOL) and other Center and Agency projects. These tasks include various systems engineering processes such as performing system requirements development, system architecture design, integration, verification and validation, software development, and sustaining engineering of mission operations systems that has evolved the Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) into a leader in remote operations for current and future NASA space projects. The group is also responsible for developing and managing telemetry and command configuration and calibration databases. Personnel are responsible for maintaining and enhancing their disciplinary skills in the areas of project management, software engineering, software development, software process improvement, telecommunications, networking, and systems management. Domain expertise in the ground systems area is also maintained and includes detailed proficiency in the areas of real-time telemetry systems, command systems, voice, video, data networks, and mission planning systems.

Sustainable exploitation and management of autogenic ecosystem engineers: application to oysters in Chesapeake Bay.

PubMed

Wilberg, Michael J; Wiedenmann, John R; Robinson, Jason M

2013-06-01

Autogenic ecosystem engineers are critically important parts of many marine and estuarine systems because of their substantial effect on ecosystem services. Oysters are of particular importance because of their capacity to modify coastal and estuarine habitats and the highly degraded status of their habitats worldwide. However, models to predict dynamics of ecosystem engineers have not previously included the effects of exploitation. We developed a linked population and habitat model for autogenic ecosystem engineers undergoing exploitation. We parameterized the model to represent eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) in upper Chesapeake Bay by selecting sets of parameter values that matched observed rates of change in abundance and habitat. We used the model to evaluate the effects of a range of management and restoration options including sustainability of historical fishing pressure, effectiveness of a newly enacted sanctuary program, and relative performance of two restoration approaches. In general, autogenic ecosystem engineers are expected to be substantially less resilient to fishing than an equivalent species that does not rely on itself for habitat. Historical fishing mortality rates in upper Chesapeake Bay for oysters were above the levels that would lead to extirpation. Reductions in fishing or closure of the fishery were projected to lead to long-term increases in abundance and habitat. For fisheries to become sustainable outside of sanctuaries, a substantial larval subsidy would be required from oysters within sanctuaries. Restoration efforts using high-relief reefs were predicted to allow recovery within a shorter period of time than low-relief reefs. Models such as ours, that allow for feedbacks between population and habitat dynamics, can be effective tools for guiding management and restoration of autogenic ecosystem engineers.

Creating global networks through an online engineering graduate programme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murray, M. H.

2011-03-01

Internationally, the railway industry is facing a severe shortage of engineers with high-level, relevant, professional and technical knowledge and abilities, in particular amongst engineers involved in the design, construction and maintenance of railway infrastructure. A unique graduate level programme has been created to meet that global need via a fully online, distance education format. The development and operation of this Master of Engineering degree is proposed as a model of the process needed for industry-relevance, flexible delivery, international networking and professional development required for a successful graduate engineering programme in the twenty-first century. In particular, this paper demonstrates how a mix of new and more familiar technologies are utilised through a variety of tasks to overcome the huge distances and multiple time zones that separate the participants across a growing number of countries, successfully achieving close and sustained interaction amongst the participants and railway experts.

Novel Alternative Cementitious Maerials for Development of the Next Generation of Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure[Tech Brief

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-10-01

Georgia Institute of Technology and collaborators from Oklahoma State University, Tourney Consulting, and the Army Corps of Engineers, for an Exploratory Advanced Research (EAR) Program project funded by the Federal Highway Administrations (FHWA...

Engineering industrial yeast for renewable advanced biofuels applications

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The industrial yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a candidate for the next-generation biocatalyst development due to its unique genomic background and robust performance in fermentation-based production. In order to meet challenges of renewable and sustainable advanced biofuels conversion including ...

An Identification of Interpersonal Skills for Building Army Civilian Leaders

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-09-01

3 B. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY ................................................................... 3 C. RESEARCH ... RESEARCH ................ 122 APPENDIX A. SURVEY QUESTIONS............................................................ 125 APPENDIX B. INTERVIEW QUESTIONS...Program RDEC Research , Development and Engineering Center RQ Research Question SBLM Sustaining Base Leadership and Management SDC Supervisory

History of Significant Vehicle and Fuel Introductions in the United States

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shirk, Matthew; Alleman, Teresa; Melendez, Margo

This is one of a series of reports produced as a result of the Co-Optimization of Fuels & Engines (Co-Optima) project, a Department of Energy (DOE)-sponsored multi-agency project initiated to accelerate the introduction of affordable, scalable, and sustainable biofuels and high-efficiency, low-emission vehicle engines. The simultaneous fuels and vehicles research and development is designed to deliver maximum energy savings, emissions reduction, and on-road performance.

Day one sustainability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orr, John; Ibell, Timothy; Evernden, Mark; Darby, Antony

2015-05-01

Emissions reductions targets for the UK set out in the Climate Change Act for the period to 2050 will only be achieved with significant changes to the built environment, which is currently estimated to account for 50% of the UK's carbon emissions. The socio-technological nature of Civil Engineering means that this field is uniquely placed to lead the UK through such adaptations. This paper discusses the importance of interdisciplinary teaching to produce multi-faceted team approaches to sustainable design solutions. Methods for measuring success in education are often not fit for purpose, producing good students but poor engineers. Real-world failures to apply sustainable design present a serious, difficult to detect, and ultimately economically negative situation. Techniques to replace summative examinations are presented and discussed, with the aim of enhancing core technical skills alongside those required for sustainable design. Finally, the role of our future engineers in policy-making is discussed. In addition to carbon, the provision of water and food will heavily influence the work of civil engineers in the coming decades. Leadership from civil engineers with the technical knowledge and social awareness to tackle these issues will be required. This provides both opportunities and challenges for engineering education in the UK.

Sustainable source of omega-3 eicosapentaenoic acid from metabolically engineered Yarrowia lipolytica: from fundamental research to commercial production.

PubMed

Xie, Dongming; Jackson, Ethel N; Zhu, Quinn

2015-02-01

The omega-3 fatty acids, cis-5, 8, 11, 14, and 17-eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5; EPA) and cis-4, 7, 10, 13, 16, and 19-docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6; DHA), have wide-ranging benefits in improving heart health, immune function, mental health, and infant cognitive development. Currently, the major source for EPA and DHA is from fish oil, and a minor source of DHA is from microalgae. With the increased demand for EPA and DHA, DuPont has developed a clean and sustainable source of the omega-3 fatty acid EPA through fermentation using metabolically engineered strains of Yarrowia lipolytica. In this mini-review, we will focus on DuPont's technology for EPA production. Specifically, EPA biosynthetic and supporting pathways have been introduced into the oleaginous yeast to synthesize and accumulate EPA under fermentation conditions. This Yarrowia platform can also produce tailored omega-3 (EPA, DHA) and/or omega-6 (ARA, GLA) fatty acid mixtures in the cellular lipid profiles. Fundamental research such as metabolic engineering for strain construction, high-throughput screening for strain selection, fermentation process development, and process scale-up were all needed to achieve the high levels of EPA titer, rate, and yield required for commercial application. Here, we summarize how we have combined the fundamental bioscience and the industrial engineering skills to achieve large-scale production of Yarrowia biomass containing high amounts of EPA, which led to two commercial products, New Harvest™ EPA oil and Verlasso® salmon.

Nursing's leadership in positioning human health at the core of urban sustainability.

PubMed

St Pierre Schneider, Barbara; Menzel, Nancy; Clark, Michele; York, Nancy; Candela, Lori; Xu, Yu

2009-01-01

The United Nations predicts that by 2050 nearly three fourths of the world's population will live in urban areas, including cities. People are attracted to cities because these urban areas offer diverse opportunities, including the availability of goods and services and a higher quality of life. Cities, however, may not be sustainable with this population boom. To address sustainability, urban developers and engineers are building green structures, and businesses are creating products that are safe for the environment. Additionally, efforts are needed to place human health at the core of urban sustainability. Without human health, cities will not survive for future generations. Nursing is the discipline that can place human health in this position. Nursing's initiatives throughout history are efforts of sustainability-improving human health within the physical, economic, and social environments. Therefore, nursing must take a leadership role to ensure that human health is at the core of urban sustainability.

Engineering education in the wake of hurricane Katrina

PubMed Central

Lima, Marybeth

2007-01-01

Living through hurricane Katrina and its aftermath and reflecting on these experiences from technical and non-technical standpoints has led me to reconsider my thoughts and philosophy on engineering education. I present three ideas regarding engineering education pedagogy that I believe will prepare future engineers for problem-solving in an increasingly complex world. They are (1) we must practice radical (to the root) engineering, (2) we must illustrate connections between engineering and public policy, and (3) we will join the charge to find sustainable solutions to problems. Ideas for bringing each of these concepts into engineering curricula through methods such as case study, practicing broad information gathering and data interpretation, and other methods inside and outside the classroom, are discussed. I believe that the consequences of not considering the root issues of problems to be solved, and of not including policy and sustainability considerations when problems to be solved are framed will lead our profession toward well meaning but insufficient utility. Hurricane Katrina convinced me that we must do better as educators to prepare our students for engineering for a sustainable world. PMID:18271988

Effects of Engineering Design-Based Science on Elementary School Science Students' Engineering Identity Development across Gender and Grade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capobianco, Brenda M.; Yu, Ji H.; French, Brian F.

2015-04-01

The integration of engineering concepts and practices into elementary science education has become an emerging concern for science educators and practitioners, alike. Moreover, how children, specifically preadolescents (grades 1-5), engage in engineering design-based learning activities may help science educators and researchers learn more about children's earliest identification with engineering. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which engineering identity differed among preadolescents across gender and grade, when exposing students to engineering design-based science learning activities. Five hundred fifty preadolescent participants completed the Engineering Identity Development Scale (EIDS), a recently developed measure with validity evidence that characterizes children's conceptions of engineering and potential career aspirations. Data analyses of variance among four factors (i.e., gender, grade, and group) indicated that elementary school students who engaged in the engineering design-based science learning activities demonstrated greater improvements on the EIDS subscales compared to those in the comparison group. Specifically, students in the lower grade levels showed substantial increases, while students in the higher grade levels showed decreases. Girls, regardless of grade level and participation in the engineering learning activities, showed higher scores in the academic subscale compared to boys. These findings suggest that the integration of engineering practices in the science classroom as early as grade one shows potential in fostering and sustaining student interest, participation, and self-concept in engineering and science.

Understanding Engineers' Responsibilities: A Prerequisite to Designing Engineering Education : Commentary on "Educating Engineers for the Public Good Through International Internships: Evidence from a Case Study at Universitat Politècnica de València".

PubMed

Murphy, Colleen; Gardoni, Paolo

2017-07-18

The development of the curriculum for engineering education (course requirements as well as extra-curricular activities like study abroad and internships) should be based on a comprehensive understanding of engineers' responsibilities. The responsibilities that are constitutive of being an engineer include striving to fulfill the standards of excellence set by technical codes; to improve the idealized models that engineers use to predict, for example, the behavior of alternative designs; and to achieve the internal goods such as safety and sustainability as they are reflected in the design codes. Globalization has implications for these responsibilities and, in turn, for engineering education, by, for example, modifying the collection of possible solutions recognized for existing problems. In addition, international internships can play an important role in fostering the requisite moral imagination of engineering students.

[Applications of synthetic biology in materials science].

PubMed

Zhao, Tianxin; Zhong, Chao

2017-03-25

Materials are the basis for human being survival and social development. To keep abreast with the increasing needs from all aspects of human society, there are huge needs in the development of advanced materials as well as high-efficiency but low-cost manufacturing strategies that are both sustainable and tunable. Synthetic biology, a new engineering principle taking gene regulation and engineering design as the core, greatly promotes the development of life sciences. This discipline has also contributed to the development of material sciences and will continuously bring new ideas to future new material design. In this paper, we review recent advances in applications of synthetic biology in material sciences, with the focus on how synthetic biology could enable synthesis of new polymeric biomaterials and inorganic materials, phage display and directed evolution of proteins relevant to materials development, living functional materials, engineered bacteria-regulated artificial photosynthesis system as well as applications of gene circuits for material sciences.

Engineering of mechanical manufacturing from the cradle to cradle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peralta, M. E.; Aguayo, F.; Lama, J. R.

2012-04-01

The sustainability of manufacturing processes lies in industrial planning and productive activity. Industrial plants are characterized by the management of resource (inputs and outputs), processing and conversion processes, which usually are organized in a linear system. Good planning will optimize the manufacturing and promoting the quality of the industrial system. Cradle to Cradle is a new paradigm for engineering and sustainable manufacturing that integrates projects (industrial parks, manufacturing plants, systems and products) in a framework consistent with the environment, adapted to the society and technology and economically viable. To carry it out, we implement this paradigm in the MGE2 (Genomic Model of Eco-innovation and Eco-design), as a methodology for designing and developing products and manufacturing systems with an approach from the cradle to cradle.

A METHODOLOGY TO EVALUATE PROCESS SUSTAINABILITY

EPA Science Inventory

Chemical and engineering research over the past five years has seen a dramatic increase in activity in the area of green chemistry. As these developments continue to be explored, it is reasonable that some of these chemistries or technologies have the potential to be implemented ...

Sustainable biorefining in wastewater by engineered extreme alkaliphile Bacillus marmarensis

PubMed Central

Wernick, David G.; Pontrelli, Sammy P.; Pollock, Alexander W.; Liao, James C.

2016-01-01

Contamination susceptibility, water usage, and inability to utilize 5-carbon sugars and disaccharides are among the major obstacles in industrialization of sustainable biorefining. Extremophilic thermophiles and acidophiles are being researched to combat these problems, but organisms which answer all the above problems have yet to emerge. Here, we present engineering of the unexplored, extreme alkaliphile Bacillus marmarensis as a platform for new bioprocesses which meet all these challenges. With a newly developed transformation protocol and genetic tools, along with optimized RBSs and antisense RNA, we engineered B. marmarensis to produce ethanol at titers of 38 g/l and 65% yields from glucose in unsterilized media. Furthermore, ethanol titers and yields of 12 g/l and 50%, respectively, were produced from cellobiose and xylose in unsterilized seawater and algal-contaminated wastewater. As such, B. marmarensis presents a promising approach for the contamination-resistant biorefining of a wide range of carbohydrates in unsterilized, non-potable seawater. PMID:26831574

Biosensors for Sustainable Food Engineering: Challenges and Perspectives

PubMed Central

Ragavan, Vasanth; Weng, Xuan; Chand, Rohit

2018-01-01

Current food production faces tremendous challenges from growing human population, maintaining clean resources and food qualities, and protecting climate and environment. Food sustainability is mostly a cooperative effort resulting in technology development supported by both governments and enterprises. Multiple attempts have been promoted in tackling challenges and enhancing drivers in food production. Biosensors and biosensing technologies with their applications, are being widely applied to tackling top challenges in food production and its sustainability. Consequently, a growing demand in biosensing technologies exists in food sustainability. Microfluidics represents a technological system integrating multiple technologies. Nanomaterials, with its technology in biosensing, is thought to be the most promising tool in dealing with health, energy, and environmental issues closely related to world populations. The demand of point of care (POC) technologies in this area focus on rapid, simple, accurate, portable, and low-cost analytical instruments. This review provides current viewpoints from the literature on biosensing in food production, food processing, safety and security, food packaging and supply chain, food waste processing, food quality assurance, and food engineering. The current understanding of progress, solution, and future challenges, as well as the commercialization of biosensors are summarized. PMID:29534552

Recent developments in turbomachinery component materials and manufacturing challenges for aero engine applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srinivas, G.; Raghunandana, K.; Satish Shenoy, B.

2018-02-01

In the recent years the development of turbomachinery materials performance enhancement plays a vital role especially in aircraft air breathing engines like turbojet engine, turboprop engine, turboshaft engine and turbofan engines. Especially the transonic flow engines required highly sophisticated materials where it can sustain the entire thrust which can create by the engine. The main objective of this paper is to give an overview of the present cost-effective and technological capabilities process for turbomachinery component materials. Especially the main focus is given to study the Electro physical, Photonic additive removal process and Electro chemical process for turbomachinery parts manufacture. The aeronautical propulsion based technologies are reviewed thoroughly where in surface reliability, geometrical precession, and material removal and highly strengthened composite material deposition rates usually difficult to cut dedicated steels, Titanium and Nickel based alloys. In this paper the past aeronautical and propulsion mechanical based manufacturing technologies, current sophisticated technologies and also future challenging material processing techniques are covered. The paper also focuses on the brief description of turbomachinery components of shaping process and coating in aeromechanical applications.

Sustainability by Design: A Reflection on the Suitability of Pedagogic Practice in Design and Engineering Courses in the Teaching of Sustainable Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Richard; Childs, Peter; Hamilton, Tom

2007-01-01

Courses in product design are offered within the United Kingdom at the University of Brighton and the University of Sussex and in both cases are run within engineering departments alongside traditional engineering courses. This paper outlines some of the intrinsic pedagogic practices that are employed by these, and other, design courses. It…

Sustainability in Chemical Engineering Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glassey, Jarka; Haile, Sue

2012-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe a concentrated strategy to embed sustainability teaching into a (chemical) engineering undergraduate curriculum throughout the whole programme. Innovative teaching approaches in subject-specific context are described and their efficiency investigated. Design/methodology/approach: The activities in…

Oxygen-Releasing Antioxidant Cryogel Scaffolds with Sustained Oxygen Delivery for Tissue Engineering Applications.

PubMed

Shiekh, Parvaiz A; Singh, Anamika; Kumar, Ashok

2018-06-06

With the advancement in biomaterial sciences, tissue-engineered scaffolds are developing as a promising strategy for the regeneration of damaged tissues. However, only a few of these scaffolds have been translated into clinical applications. One of the primary drawbacks of the existing scaffolds is the lack of adequate oxygen supply within the scaffolds. Oxygen-producing biomaterials have been developed as an alternate strategy but are faced with two major concerns. One is the control of the rate of oxygen generation, and the other is the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). To address these concerns, here, we report the development of an oxygen-releasing antioxidant polymeric cryogel scaffold (PUAO-CPO) for sustained oxygen delivery. PUAO-CPO scaffold was fabricated using the cryogelation technique by the incorporation of calcium peroxide (CPO) in the antioxidant polyurethane (PUAO) scaffolds. The PUAO-CPO cryogels attenuated the ROS and showed a sustained release of oxygen over a period of 10 days. An in vitro analysis of the PUAO-CPO cryogels showed their ability to sustain H9C2 cardiomyoblast cells under hypoxic conditions, with cell viability being significantly better than the normal polyurethane (PU) scaffolds. Furthermore, in vivo studies using an ischemic flap model showed the ability of the oxygen-releasing cryogel scaffolds to prevent tissue necrosis upto 9 days. Histological examination indicated the maintenance of tissue architecture and collagen content, whereas immunostaining for proliferating cell nuclear antigen confirmed the viability of the ischemic tissue with oxygen delivery. Our study demonstrated an advanced approach for the development of oxygen-releasing biomaterials with sustained oxygen delivery as well as attenuated production of residual ROS and free radicals because of ischemia or oxygen generation. Hence, the oxygen-releasing PUAO-CPO cryogel scaffolds may be used with cell-based therapeutic approaches for the regeneration of damaged tissue, particularly with ischemic conditions such as myocardial infarction and chronic wound healing.

Sustainable engineered processes to mitigate the global arsenic crisis in drinking water: challenges and progress.

PubMed

Sarkar, Sudipta; Greenleaf, John E; Gupta, Anirban; Uy, Davin; Sengupta, Arup K

2012-01-01

Millions of people around the world are currently living under the threat of developing serious health problems owing to ingestion of dangerous concentrations of arsenic through their drinking water. In many places, treatment of arsenic-contaminated water is an urgent necessity owing to a lack of safe alternative sources. Sustainable production of arsenic-safe water from an arsenic-contaminated raw water source is currently a challenge. Despite the successful development in the laboratory of technologies for arsenic remediation, few have been successful in the field. A sustainable arsenic-remediation technology should be robust, composed of local resources, and user-friendly as well as must attach special consideration to the social, economic, cultural, traditional, and environmental aspects of the target community. One such technology is in operation on the Indian subcontinent. Wide-scale replication of this technology with adequate improvisation can solve the arsenic crisis prevalent in the developing world.

Alignment of microbial fitness with engineered product formation: obligatory coupling between acetate production and photoautotrophic growth.

PubMed

Du, Wei; Jongbloets, Joeri A; van Boxtel, Coco; Pineda Hernández, Hugo; Lips, David; Oliver, Brett G; Hellingwerf, Klaas J; Branco Dos Santos, Filipe

2018-01-01

Microbial bioengineering has the potential to become a key contributor to the future development of human society by providing sustainable, novel, and cost-effective production pipelines. However, the sustained productivity of genetically engineered strains is often a challenge, as spontaneous non-producing mutants tend to grow faster and take over the population. Novel strategies to prevent this issue of strain instability are urgently needed. In this study, we propose a novel strategy applicable to all microbial production systems for which a genome-scale metabolic model is available that aligns the production of native metabolites to the formation of biomass. Based on well-established constraint-based analysis techniques such as OptKnock and FVA, we developed an in silico pipeline-FRUITS-that specifically 'Finds Reactions Usable in Tapping Side-products'. It analyses a metabolic network to identify compounds produced in anabolism that are suitable to be coupled to growth by deletion of their re-utilization pathway(s), and computes their respective biomass and product formation rates. When applied to Synechocystis sp. PCC6803, a model cyanobacterium explored for sustainable bioproduction, a total of nine target metabolites were identified. We tested our approach for one of these compounds, acetate, which is used in a wide range of industrial applications. The model-guided engineered strain shows an obligatory coupling between acetate production and photoautotrophic growth as predicted. Furthermore, the stability of acetate productivity in this strain was confirmed by performing prolonged turbidostat cultivations. This work demonstrates a novel approach to stabilize the production of target compounds in cyanobacteria that culminated in the first report of a photoautotrophic growth-coupled cell factory. The method developed is generic and can easily be extended to any other modeled microbial production system.

Building an Ecosystem for a New Engineering Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grebski, Wieslaw; Grebski, Michalene Eva

2018-06-01

Penn State Hazleton has recently developed and implemented a new Engineering program with a focus on energy efficiency and energy sustainability. To accelerate the implementation cycle of the program, it was necessary to very rapidly create and establish the components of an ecosystem needed for the Engineering program to prosper and grow. This paper describes the individual components of the ecosystem as well as the methods used to establish them. The paper also discusses the different initiatives to increase enrollment as well as placement rates for graduates. Continuous quality improvement procedure applied to maintain the quality of the program is also being discussed.

Promoting peace in engineering education: modifying the ABET criteria.

PubMed

Catalano, George D

2006-04-01

Modifications to the ABET Criterion 3 are suggested in support of the effort to promote the pursuit of peace in engineering education. The proposed modifications are the result of integrating the United Nations' sponsored "Integral Model of Education for Peace, Democracy and Sustainable Development" into the modern engineering curriculum. The key elements of the model are being at peace with oneself, being at peace with others, and being at peace with the planet. In addition to proposing modifications, specific classroom activities are described and implemented, and students' reactions and the effectiveness of the various exercises are discussed.

Sustainable water management under future uncertainty with eco-engineering decision scaling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poff, N. Leroy; Brown, Casey M.; Grantham, Theodore E.; Matthews, John H.; Palmer, Margaret A.; Spence, Caitlin M.; Wilby, Robert L.; Haasnoot, Marjolijn; Mendoza, Guillermo F.; Dominique, Kathleen C.; Baeza, Andres

2016-01-01

Managing freshwater resources sustainably under future climatic and hydrological uncertainty poses novel challenges. Rehabilitation of ageing infrastructure and construction of new dams are widely viewed as solutions to diminish climate risk, but attaining the broad goal of freshwater sustainability will require expansion of the prevailing water resources management paradigm beyond narrow economic criteria to include socially valued ecosystem functions and services. We introduce a new decision framework, eco-engineering decision scaling (EEDS), that explicitly and quantitatively explores trade-offs in stakeholder-defined engineering and ecological performance metrics across a range of possible management actions under unknown future hydrological and climate states. We illustrate its potential application through a hypothetical case study of the Iowa River, USA. EEDS holds promise as a powerful framework for operationalizing freshwater sustainability under future hydrological uncertainty by fostering collaboration across historically conflicting perspectives of water resource engineering and river conservation ecology to design and operate water infrastructure for social and environmental benefits.

Sustainable water management under future uncertainty with eco-engineering decision scaling

USGS Publications Warehouse

Poff, N LeRoy; Brown, Casey M; Grantham, Theodore E.; Matthews, John H; Palmer, Margaret A.; Spence, Caitlin M; Wilby, Robert L.; Haasnoot, Marjolijn; Mendoza, Guillermo F; Dominique, Kathleen C; Baeza, Andres

2015-01-01

Managing freshwater resources sustainably under future climatic and hydrological uncertainty poses novel challenges. Rehabilitation of ageing infrastructure and construction of new dams are widely viewed as solutions to diminish climate risk, but attaining the broad goal of freshwater sustainability will require expansion of the prevailing water resources management paradigm beyond narrow economic criteria to include socially valued ecosystem functions and services. We introduce a new decision framework, eco-engineering decision scaling (EEDS), that explicitly and quantitatively explores trade-offs in stakeholder-defined engineering and ecological performance metrics across a range of possible management actions under unknown future hydrological and climate states. We illustrate its potential application through a hypothetical case study of the Iowa River, USA. EEDS holds promise as a powerful framework for operationalizing freshwater sustainability under future hydrological uncertainty by fostering collaboration across historically conflicting perspectives of water resource engineering and river conservation ecology to design and operate water infrastructure for social and environmental benefits.

SUSTAINABILITY AND THE ROLE OF THE CHEMIST

EPA Science Inventory

Chemical and engineering research over the past ten years has seen a dramatic increase in activity in the area of green chemistry. As these developments continue to be explored, it is reasonable that some of these chemistries or technologies have the potential to be implemented o...

Cyber physical system based on resilient ICT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iwatsuki, Katsumi

2016-02-01

While development of science and technology has built up the sophisticated civilized society, it has also resulted in quite a few disadvantages in global environment and human society. The common recognition has been increasingly shared worldwide on sustainable development society attaching greater importance to the symbiotic relationship with nature and social ethics. After the East Japan Great Earthquake, it is indispensable for sustainable social development to enhance capacity of resistance and restoration of society against natural disaster, so called "resilient society". Our society consists of various Cyber Physical Systems (CPSs) that make up the physical systems by fusing with an Information Communication Technology (ICT). We describe the proposed structure of CPS in order to realize resilient society. The configuration of resilient CPS consisting of ICT and physical system is discussed to introduce "autonomous, distributed, and cooperative" structure, where subsystems of ICT and physical system are simultaneously coordinated and cooperated with Business Continuity Planning (BCP) engine, respectively. We show the disaster response information system and energy network as examples of BCP engine and resilient CPS, respectively. We also propose the structure and key technology of resilient ICT.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Co-Optimization of Fuels & Engines (Co-Optima) initiative is accelerating the introduction of affordable, scalable, and sustainable fuels and high-efficiency, low-emission engines with a first-of-its-kind effort to simultaneously tackle fuel and engine research and development (R&D). This report summarizes accomplishments in the first year of the project. Co-Optima is conducting concurrent research to identify the fuel properties and engine design characteristics needed to maximize vehicle performance and affordability, while deeply cutting emissions. Nine national laboratories - the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Argonne, Idaho, Lawrence Berkeley, Lawrence Livermore, Los Alamos, Oak Ridge, Pacific Northwest, andmore » Sandia National Laboratories - are collaborating with industry and academia on this groundbreaking research.« less

Experimental investigation on the flow around a simplified geometry of automotive engine compartment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Hondt, Marion; Gilliéron, Patrick; Devinant, Philippe

2011-05-01

In the current sustainable development context, car manufacturers have to keep doing efforts to reduce the aerodynamic drag of automotive vehicle in order to decrease their CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions. The cooling airflow, through the engine compartment of vehicles, contributes from 5 to 10% to the total aerodynamic drag. By means of simplified car geometry, equipped with an engine compartment, the configurations that favor a low contribution to total drag are identified. PIV (particle image velocimetry) velocity measurements in the wake of the geometry allow explaining these drag reductions. Besides, the cooling flow rate is also assessed and gives indications on the configurations that favor the engine cooling.

Approaches to defining deltaic sustainability in the 21st century

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Day, John W.; Agboola, Julius; Chen, Zhongyuan; D'Elia, Christopher; Forbes, Donald L.; Giosan, Liviu; Kemp, Paul; Kuenzer, Claudia; Lane, Robert R.; Ramachandran, Ramesh; Syvitski, James; Yañez-Arancibia, Alejandro

2016-12-01

Deltas are among the most productive and economically important of global ecosystems but unfortunately they are also among the most threatened by human activities. Here we discuss deltas and human impact, several approaches to defining deltaic sustainability and present a ranking of sustainability. Delta sustainability must be considered within the context of global biophysical and socioeconomic constraints that include thermodynamic limitations, scale and embeddedness, and constraints at the level of the biosphere/geosphere. The development, functioning, and sustainability of deltas are the result of external and internal inputs of energy and materials, such as sediments and nutrients, that include delta lobe development, channel switching, crevasse formation, river floods, storms and associated waves and storm surges, and tides and other ocean currents. Modern deltas developed over the past several thousand years with relatively stable global mean sea level, predictable material inputs from drainage basins and the sea, and as extremely open systems. Human activity has changed these conditions to make deltas less sustainable, in that they are unable to persist through time structurally or functionally. Deltaic sustainability can be considered from geomorphic, ecological, and economic perspectives, with functional processes at these three levels being highly interactive. Changes in this functioning can lead to either enhanced or diminished sustainability, but most changes have been detrimental. There is a growing understanding that the trajectories of global environmental change and cost of energy will make achieving delta sustainability more challenging and limit options for management. Several delta types are identified in terms of sustainability including those in arid regions, those with high and low energy-intensive management systems, deltas below sea level, tropical deltas, and Arctic deltas. Representative deltas are ranked on a sustainability range. Success in sustainable delta management will depend on utilizing natural delta functioning and an ecological engineering approach.

Sustainable Range Management of RDX and TNT by Phytoremediation with Engineered Plants

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-01

FINAL REPORT Sustainable Range Management of RDX and TNT by Phytoremediation with Engineered Plants SERDP Project ER-1498 APRIL 2016...specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its...by Phyoremediation with Engineered Plants 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER ER-1498 Neil C

Teamed for Success: The Imperative for Aligning Systems Engineering and Life Cycle Logistics

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-02-01

January-February 2013 Kobren is director of the DAU Logistics & Sustainment Center, and the DoD Product Support Assessment Human Capital IPT lead...engineering colleagues, here are 10 key life-cycle logistics, product support, and system sustainment tenets to be cognizant of: Decisions You Make Will...and updates to the Life Cycle Sustainment Plan (LCSP). A vast majority of a weapon systems’ total ownership costs are determined by decisions made

Developing Technologies for Space Resource Utilization: Concept for a Planetary Engineering Research Institute

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blacic, J. D.; Dreesen, D.; Mockler, T.

2000-01-01

There are two principal factors that control the economics and ultimate utilization of space resources: 1) space transportation, and 2) space resource utilization technologies. Development of space transportation technology is driven by major government (military and civilian) programs and, to a lesser degree, private industry-funded research. Communication within the propulsion and spacecraft engineering community is aided by an effective independent professional organization, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). The many aerospace engineering programs in major university engineering schools sustain professional-level education in these fields. NASA does an excellent job of public education in space science and engineering at all levels. Planetary science, a precursor and supporting discipline for space resource utilization, has benefited from the establishment of the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) which has served, since the early post-Apollo days, as a focus for both professional and educational development in the geosciences of the Moon and other planets. The closest thing the nonaerospace engineering disciplines have had to this kind of professional nexus is the sponsorship by the American Society of Civil Engineers of a series of space engineering conferences that have had a predominantly space resource orientation. However, many of us with long-standing interests in space resource development have felt that an LPI-like, independent institute was needed to focus and facilitate both research and education on the specific engineering disciplines needed to develop space resource utilization technologies on an on-going basis.

Ahmad Mayyas | NREL

Science.gov Websites

University-International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) (2009-2012) Intern/Reliability Engineer selection for body-in-white." International Journal of Sustainable Manufacturing 2, no. 4 (August 2012 Structure Case Study." Accepted for publication in International Journal of Sustainable Engineering

Sustainable nanotechnology decision support system: bridging risk management, sustainable innovation and risk governance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subramanian, Vrishali; Semenzin, Elena; Hristozov, Danail; Zabeo, Alex; Malsch, Ineke; McAlea, Eamonn; Murphy, Finbarr; Mullins, Martin; van Harmelen, Toon; Ligthart, Tom; Linkov, Igor; Marcomini, Antonio

2016-04-01

The significant uncertainties associated with the (eco)toxicological risks of engineered nanomaterials pose challenges to the development of nano-enabled products toward greatest possible societal benefit. This paper argues for the use of risk governance approaches to manage nanotechnology risks and sustainability, and considers the links between these concepts. Further, seven risk assessment and management criteria relevant to risk governance are defined: (a) life cycle thinking, (b) triple bottom line, (c) inclusion of stakeholders, (d) risk management, (e) benefit-risk assessment, (f) consideration of uncertainty, and (g) adaptive response. These criteria are used to compare five well-developed nanotechnology frameworks: International Risk Governance Council framework, Comprehensive Environmental Assessment, Streaming Life Cycle Risk Assessment, Certifiable Nanospecific Risk Management and Monitoring System and LICARA NanoSCAN. A Sustainable Nanotechnology Decision Support System (SUNDS) is proposed to better address current nanotechnology risk assessment and management needs, and makes. Stakeholder needs were solicited for further SUNDS enhancement through a stakeholder workshop that included representatives from regulatory, industry and insurance sectors. Workshop participants expressed the need for the wider adoption of sustainability assessment methods and tools for designing greener nanomaterials.

Sustainable and responsible design from a Christian worldview.

PubMed

Eisenbarth, Steven R; Van Treuren, Kenneth W

2004-04-01

Many aspects of design require engineers to make choices based on non-quantifiable personal perspectives. These decisions touch issues in aesthetics, ethics, social impact, and responsibility and sustainability. Part of Baylor University's mission is to provide a learning community in which Christian life values and worldviews might be integrated into academic disciplines. In view of this institutional commitment, members of the Engineering faculty are investigating how Christian worldviews might interact with elements of engineering design in such a way as to produce uniquely Christian insights and inform the non-quantifiable aspects of the engineering process.

Environmental Engineering in the Slovak Republic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stevulova, N.; Balintova, M.; Zelenakova, M.; Estokova, A.; Vilcekova, S.

2017-10-01

The fundamental role of environmental engineering is to protect human population and environment from impacts of human activities and to ensure environmental quality. It relates to achieving the environmental sustainability goals through advanced technologies for pollutants removing from air, water and soil in order to minimize risk in ecosystem and ensuring favourable conditions for life of humans and organisms. Nowadays, a critical analysis of the environment quality and innovative approaches to problem solving in order to achieve sustainability in environmental engineering, are necessary. This article presents an overview of the quality of the environment and progress in environmental engineering in Slovakia and gives information regarding the environmental engineering education at Faculty of Civil Engineering at Technical University in Kosice.

Product Lifecycle Management and the Quest for Sustainable Space Exploration Solutions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Caruso, Pamela W.; Dumbacher, Daniel L.; Grieves, Michael

2011-01-01

Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) is an outcome of lean thinking to eliminate waste and increase productivity. PLM is inextricably tied to the systems engineering business philosophy, coupled with a methodology by which personnel, processes and practices, and information technology combine to form an architecture platform for product design, development, manufacturing, operations, and decommissioning. In this model, which is being implemented by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Engineering Directorate, total lifecycle costs are important variables for critical decision-making. With the ultimate goal to deliver quality products that meet or exceed requirements on time and within budget, PLM is a powerful concept to shape everything from engineering trade studies and testing goals, to integrated vehicle operations and retirement scenarios. This briefing will demonstrate how the MSFC Engineering Directorate is implementing PLM as part of an overall strategy to deliver safe, reliable, and affordable space exploration solutions and how that strategy aligns with the Agency and Center systems engineering policies and processes. Sustainable space exploration solutions demand that all lifecycle phases be optimized, and engineering the next generation space transportation system requires a paradigm shift such that digital tools and knowledge management, which are central elements of PLM, are used consistently to maximum effect. Adopting PLM, which has been used by the aerospace and automotive industry for many years, for spacecraft applications provides a foundation for strong, disciplined systems engineering and accountable return on investment. PLM enables better solutions using fewer resources by making lifecycle considerations in an integrative decision-making process.

NASA Ames Sustainability Initiatives: Aeronautics, Space Exploration, and Sustainable Futures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grymes, Rosalind A.

2015-01-01

In support of the mission-specific challenges of aeronautics and space exploration, NASA Ames produces a wealth of research and technology advancements with significant relevance to larger issues of planetary sustainability. NASA research on NexGen airspace solutions and its development of autonomous and intelligent technologies will revolutionize both the nation's air transporation systems and have applicability to the low altitude flight economy and to both air and ground transporation, more generally. NASA's understanding of the Earth as a complex of integrated systems contributes to humanity's perception of the sustainability of our home planet. Research at NASA Ames on closed environment life support systems produces directly applicable lessons on energy, water, and resource management in ground-based infrastructure. Moreover, every NASA campus is a 'city'; including an urbanscape and a workplace including scientists, human relations specialists, plumbers, engineers, facility managers, construction trades, transportation managers, software developers, leaders, financial planners, technologists, electricians, students, accountants, and even lawyers. NASA is applying the lessons of our mission-related activities to our urbanscapes and infrastructure, and also anticipates a leadership role in developing future environments for living and working in space.

Microbial Production of Short Chain Fatty Acids from Lignocellulosic Biomass: Current Processes and Market.

PubMed

Baumann, Ivan; Westermann, Peter

2016-01-01

Biological production of organic acids from conversion of biomass derivatives has received increased attention among scientists and engineers and in business because of the attractive properties such as renewability, sustainability, degradability, and versatility. The aim of the present review is to summarize recent research and development of short chain fatty acids production by anaerobic fermentation of nonfood biomass and to evaluate the status and outlook for a sustainable industrial production of such biochemicals. Volatile fatty acids (VFAs) such as acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid have many industrial applications and are currently of global economic interest. The focus is mainly on the utilization of pretreated lignocellulosic plant biomass as substrate (the carbohydrate route) and development of the bacteria and processes that lead to a high and economically feasible production of VFA. The current and developing market for VFA is analyzed focusing on production, prices, and forecasts along with a presentation of the biotechnology companies operating in the market for sustainable biochemicals. Finally, perspectives on taking sustainable product of biochemicals from promise to market introduction are reviewed.

Microbial Production of Short Chain Fatty Acids from Lignocellulosic Biomass: Current Processes and Market

PubMed Central

Baumann, Ivan

2016-01-01

Biological production of organic acids from conversion of biomass derivatives has received increased attention among scientists and engineers and in business because of the attractive properties such as renewability, sustainability, degradability, and versatility. The aim of the present review is to summarize recent research and development of short chain fatty acids production by anaerobic fermentation of nonfood biomass and to evaluate the status and outlook for a sustainable industrial production of such biochemicals. Volatile fatty acids (VFAs) such as acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid have many industrial applications and are currently of global economic interest. The focus is mainly on the utilization of pretreated lignocellulosic plant biomass as substrate (the carbohydrate route) and development of the bacteria and processes that lead to a high and economically feasible production of VFA. The current and developing market for VFA is analyzed focusing on production, prices, and forecasts along with a presentation of the biotechnology companies operating in the market for sustainable biochemicals. Finally, perspectives on taking sustainable product of biochemicals from promise to market introduction are reviewed. PMID:27556042

Teaching Environmental Entrepreneurship at an Urban University: Greenproofing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foster, Kevin; Jelen, Jonathan; Scott, Anasa

2010-01-01

The authors provide a case study of their own experience teaching Environmental Entrepreneurship. For the past six years, they have been teaching about sustainability through social entrepreneurship in an interdisciplinary partnership with faculty in management, engineering, and earth science. The authors have developed a course in Environmental…

CREATION OF A MULTIDISCIPLINARY PROJECT PLATFORM FOR WATER SYSTEMS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

EPA Science Inventory

The Lehigh University chapter of Engineers Without Borders-USA will design and construct a sustainable, multi-phase system for the treatment and distribution of drinking water in Pueblo Nuevo, Honduras. The new system will include a slow sand filter, hypochlorinator, water sto...

Systematic Assessment Through Mathematical Model For Sustainability Reporting In Malaysia Context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lanang, Wan Nurul Syahirah Wan; Turan, Faiz Mohd; Johan, Kartina

2017-08-01

Sustainability assessment have been studied and increasingly recognized as a powerful and valuable tool to measure the performance of sustainability in a company or industry. Nowadays, there are many existing tools that the users can use for sustainable development. There are various initiatives exists on tools for sustainable development, though most of the tools focused on environmental, economy and social aspects. Using the Green Project Management (GPM) P5 concept that suggests the firms not only needs to engage in mainly 3Ps principle: planet, profit, people responsible behaviours, but also, product and process need to be included in the practices, this study will introduce a new mathematical model for assessing the level of sustainability practice in the company. Based on multiple case studies, involving in-depth interviews with senior directors, feedback from experts, and previous engineering report, a systematic approach is done with the aims to obtain the respective data from the feedbacks and to be developed into a new mathematical model. By reviewing on the methodology of this research it comprises of several phases where it starts with the analyzation of the parameters and criteria selection according to the Malaysian context of industry. Moving on to the next step is data analysis involving regression and finally the normalisation process will be done to determine the result of this research either succeeded or not. Lastly, this study is expected to provide a clear guideline to any company or organization to assimilate the sustainability assessment in their development stage. In future, the better understanding towards the sustainability assessment is attained to be aligned unitedly in order to integrated the process approach into the systematic approach for the sustainability assessment.

Balancing Fun and Learning in a Serious Game Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franzwa, Christopher; Tang, Ying; Johnson, Aaron; Bielefeldt, Talbot

2014-01-01

This article presents the underlying philosophy of Sustain City, an educational serious game system that engages students, particularly prospective and beginning science and engineering students, in a series of engineering design challenges. Various strategies implemented in Sustain City for achieving a balance of fun and learning are discussed,…

Development and validation of sustainability criteria of administrative green schools in Iran.

PubMed

Meiboudi, Hossein; Lahijanian, Akramolmolok; Shobeiri, Seyed Mohammad; Jozi, Seyed Ali; Azizinezhad, Reza

2017-07-15

Environmental responsibility in school has led to the emergence of a variety of criteria to administer green schools' contributions to sustainability. Sustainability criteria of administrative green schools need validity, reliability and norms. The aim of the current study was to develop and validate assessment criteria for green schools in Iran based on the role of academia. A national survey was conducted to obtain data on sustainability criteria initiatives for green schools and the Iranian profile was defined. An initial pool of 71 items was generated and after its first edition, 63 items were selected to comprise the sustainability criteria. Engineering-architectural and behavioral aspects of this sustainability criteria were evaluated through a sample of 1218 graduate students with environmental degrees from Iran's universities. Exploratory factor analysis using principal components and promax rotation method showed that these 9 criteria have simple structures and are consistent with the theoretical framework. The reliability coefficients of subscales ranged between 0.62 (participation) and 0.84 (building location and position). The study's survey of correlation coefficients between items and subscales illustrated that those coefficients varied between 0.24 and 0.68. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Integrated flight/propulsion control - Adaptive engine control system mode

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yonke, W. A.; Terrell, L. A.; Meyers, L. P.

1985-01-01

The adaptive engine control system mode (ADECS) which is developed and tested on an F-15 aircraft with PW1128 engines, using the NASA sponsored highly integrated digital electronic control program, is examined. The operation of the ADECS mode, as well as the basic control logic, the avionic architecture, and the airframe/engine interface are described. By increasing engine pressure ratio (EPR) additional thrust is obtained at intermediate power and above. To modulate the amount of EPR uptrim and to prevent engine stall, information from the flight control system is used. The performance benefits, anticipated from control integration are shown for a range of flight conditions and power settings. It is found that at higher altitudes, the ADECS mode can increase thrust as much as 12 percent, which is used for improved acceleration, improved turn rate, or sustained turn angle.

Gaining Control and Predictability of Software-Intensive Systems Development and Sustainment

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-02-04

implementation of the baselines, audits , and technical reviews within an overarching systems engineering process (SEP; Defense Acquisition University...warfighters’ needs. This management and metrics effort supplements and supports the system’s technical development through the baselines, audits and...other areas that could be researched and added into the nine-tier model. Areas including software metrics, quality assurance , software-oriented

Sustainability and Sustainable Technologies fo a Better World

EPA Science Inventory

Sustainability and Sustainable Technologies for a Better World Subhas K. Sikdar National Risk Management Research Laboratory United States Environmental protection Agency 26 W. M.L. King Dr. Cincinnati, OH 45237 Sikdar.subhas@epa.gov ABSTRACT Students of engineering...

Teaching Engineering Ethics to PhD Students: A Berkeley-Delft Initiative : Commentary on "Ethics Across the Curriculum: Prospects for Broader (and Deeper) Teaching and Learning in Research and Engineering Ethics".

PubMed

Taebi, Behnam; Kastenberg, William E

2016-07-13

A joint effort by the University of California at Berkeley and Delft University of Technology to develop a graduate engineering ethics course for PhD students encountered two types of challenges: academic and institutional. Academically, long-term collaborative research efforts between engineering and philosophy faculty members might be needed before successful engineering ethics courses can be initiated; the teaching of ethics to engineering graduate students and collaborative research need to go hand-in-hand. Institutionally, both bottom-up approaches at the level of the faculty and as a joint research and teaching effort, and top-down approaches that include recognition by a University's administration and the top level of education management, are needed for successful and sustainable efforts to teach engineering ethics.

Opportunities and challenges for a sustainable energy future.

PubMed

Chu, Steven; Majumdar, Arun

2012-08-16

Access to clean, affordable and reliable energy has been a cornerstone of the world's increasing prosperity and economic growth since the beginning of the industrial revolution. Our use of energy in the twenty-first century must also be sustainable. Solar and water-based energy generation, and engineering of microbes to produce biofuels are a few examples of the alternatives. This Perspective puts these opportunities into a larger context by relating them to a number of aspects in the transportation and electricity generation sectors. It also provides a snapshot of the current energy landscape and discusses several research and development opportunities and pathways that could lead to a prosperous, sustainable and secure energy future for the world.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1976-06-01

This illustration depicts the launch configuration of the Apollo spacecraft for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP). The ASTP was the first international docking of the U.S.'s Apollo spacecraft and the U.S.S.R.'s Soyuz spacecraft in space. A joint engineering team from the two countries met to develop a docking system that permitted the two spacecraft to link in space and allowed the two crews to travel from one spacecraft to the other. This system entailed developing a large habitable Docking Module (DM) to be carried on the Apollo spacecraft to facilitate the joining of two dissimilar spacecraft. The Marshall Space Flight Center was responsible for development and sustaining engineering of the Saturn IB launch vehicle during the mission.

Identifying and engineering promoters for high level and sustainable therapeutic recombinant protein production in cultured mammalian cells.

PubMed

Ho, Steven C L; Yang, Yuansheng

2014-08-01

Promoters are essential on plasmid vectors to initiate transcription of the transgenes when generating therapeutic recombinant proteins expressing mammalian cell lines. High and sustained levels of gene expression are desired during therapeutic protein production while gene expression is useful for cell engineering. As many finely controlled promoters exhibit cell and product specificity, new promoters need to be identified, optimized and carefully evaluated before use. Suitable promoters can be identified using techniques ranging from simple molecular biology methods to modern high-throughput omics screenings. Promoter engineering is often required after identification to either obtain high and sustained expression or to provide a wider range of gene expression. This review discusses some of the available methods to identify and engineer promoters for therapeutic recombinant protein expression in mammalian cells.

Ecohydrological Perspective of Addis Ababa: Opportunities and Challenges for Sustainable Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kidanewold, Belete; Nigusse, Agizew; Kalantari, Zahra

2017-04-01

Water resources at the basin scale are the result not only of climatic conditions and geomorphologic structures, but also biological growth and succession. However, the current hydrological system analyses ignore the biological aspect and emphasize on the mechanistic approaches. These over-engineering solutions of anthropogenic modification of the hydrological cycle further aggravated degradation of biological structures and increase the frequency of extreme hydrological events and decline global freshwater availability. Historically, Addis Ababa had good natural vegetation cover with different indigenous tree species that belongs to Afro-montane forest and woodland. With the long year of civilization, most of the Vegetation covers of Addis have changed to asphalts and building. Particularly, with the last one decade with massive infrastructures development, the land cover changed as a consequence the hydrological system radically changed. Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia with its total land area of 520 km2, has a downward topography in north-south direction with elevation ranges from 3200 m.a.s.l at the highest peak to 2200 m.a.s.l at the lowest point. Annually, it receives 1100mm a mean rainfall with 10.7oc -23.3oc mean temperature. The vegetation system at hillsides around the city, wetlands and green parks in the mid of the city and the cultural cemetery systems can be a good base of the city green solution development. In addition, the country constitution, water sector and urban development policies are supportive for sustainable city development. However, it is challenged with technical, environmental, socio-economical and institutional challenges that needs integrated urban development plan and design to excel the opportunities over challenges. Keywords: Ecohydrology, over-Engineering, green solution, sustainable development

Traditional formwork system sustainability performance: experts’ opinion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taher Al-ashwal, Mohammed; Abdullah, Redzuan; Zakaria, Rozana

2017-11-01

The traditional formwork system is one of the commonly used systems in concrete construction. It is considered as one of the least observed activities in term of sustainability performance. In this paper, the sustainability performance of the traditional formwork has been assessed by using a multi-criteria assessment tool to facilitate the decision on the sustainability performance measurement. A quantitative five Likert scale survey study using judgemental sampling is employed in this study. A sample of 93 of engineering construction experts, with different fields including contractors, developers, and consultants in the Malaysian context has made the body of the collected primary data. The results show variety in the distribution of the respondents’ working experience. The sustainability performance is considered moderately sustainable by the experts with only given 40.24 % of the overall total score for the three sustainable categories namely environmental, social and economic. Despite the finding that shows that the economic pillar was rated as the most sustainable aspect in comparison to the environmental and social pillars the traditional formwork system sustainability still needs enhancement. Further incorporation of the social and environmental pillars into the concrete construction the sustainability performance of traditional formwork system could be improved.

Advances in metabolic pathway and strain engineering paving the way for sustainable production of chemical building blocks.

PubMed

Chen, Yun; Nielsen, Jens

2013-12-01

Bio-based production of chemical building blocks from renewable resources is an attractive alternative to petroleum-based platform chemicals. Metabolic pathway and strain engineering is the key element in constructing robust microbial chemical factories within the constraints of cost effective production. Here we discuss how the development of computational algorithms, novel modules and methods, omics-based techniques combined with modeling refinement are enabling reduction in development time and thus advance the field of industrial biotechnology. We further discuss how recent technological developments contribute to the development of novel cell factories for the production of the building block chemicals: adipic acid, succinic acid and 3-hydroxypropionic acid. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Renewable Energy Laboratory Development for Biofuels Advanced Combustion Studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Soloiu, Valentin A.

2012-03-31

The research advanced fundamental science and applied engineering for increasing the efficiency of internal combustion engines and meeting emissions regulations with biofuels. The project developed a laboratory with new experiments and allowed investigation of new fuels and their combustion and emissions. This project supports a sustainable domestic biofuels and automotive industry creating economic opportunities across the nation, reducing the dependence on foreign oil, and enhancing U.S. energy security. The one year period of research developed fundamental knowledge and applied technology in advanced combustion, emissions and biofuels formulation to increase vehicle's efficiency. Biofuels combustion was investigated in a Compression Ignition Directmore » Injection (DI) to develop idling strategies with biofuels and an Indirect Diesel Injection (IDI) intended for auxiliary power unit.« less

Enhancing Students' Scientific and Quantitative Literacies through an Inquiry-Based Learning Project on Climate Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCright, Aaron M.

2012-01-01

Promoting sustainability and dealing with complex environmental problems like climate change demand a citizenry with considerable scientific and quantitative literacy. In particular, students in the STEM disciplines of (biophysical) science, technology, engineering, and mathematics need to develop interdisciplinary skills that help them understand…

Learning Motivation in E-Learning Facilitated Computer Programming Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Law, Kris M. Y.; Lee, Victor C. S.; Yu, Y. T.

2010-01-01

Computer programming skills constitute one of the core competencies that graduates from many disciplines, such as engineering and computer science, are expected to possess. Developing good programming skills typically requires students to do a lot of practice, which cannot sustain unless they are adequately motivated. This paper reports a…

Emerging technologies for enabling proangiogenic therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinha Roy, Rituparna; Roy, Bhaskar; Sengupta, Shiladitya

2011-12-01

Ischemic disease causes a large number of deaths and significant clinical problems worldwide. Therapeutic angiogenesis, strengthened by advances in growth-factor-based therapies, is a promising solution to ischemic pathologies. Major challenges in therapeutic angiogenesis are the lack of stability of native angiogenic proteins and also providing sustained delivery of biologically active proteins at the ischemic sites. This paper will discuss various protein engineering strategies to develop stabilized proangiogenic proteins and several biomaterial technologies used to amplify the angiogenic outcome by delivering biologically active growth factors in a sustained manner.

Marshall Space Flight Center Materials and Processes Laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tramel, Terri L.

2012-01-01

Marshall?s Materials and Processes Laboratory has been a core capability for NASA for over fifty years. MSFC has a proven heritage and recognized expertise in materials and manufacturing that are essential to enable and sustain space exploration. Marshall provides a "systems-wise" capability for applied research, flight hardware development, and sustaining engineering. Our history of leadership and achievements in materials, manufacturing, and flight experiments includes Apollo, Skylab, Mir, Spacelab, Shuttle (Space Shuttle Main Engine, External Tank, Reusable Solid Rocket Motor, and Solid Rocket Booster), Hubble, Chandra, and the International Space Station. MSFC?s National Center for Advanced Manufacturing, NCAM, facilitates major M&P advanced manufacturing partnership activities with academia, industry and other local, state and federal government agencies. The Materials and Processes Laborato ry has principal competencies in metals, composites, ceramics, additive manufacturing, materials and process modeling and simulation, space environmental effects, non-destructive evaluation, and fracture and failure analysis provide products ranging from materials research in space to fully integrated solutions for large complex systems challenges. Marshall?s materials research, development and manufacturing capabilities assure that NASA and National missions have access to cutting-edge, cost-effective engineering design and production options that are frugal in using design margins and are verified as safe and reliable. These are all critical factors in both future mission success and affordability.

Toward sustaining women in careers in core laboratories--a workshop review including recommendations from the Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities.

PubMed

Cilia, Michelle

2008-12-01

Review of "From Doctorate to Dean or Director: Sustaining Women Through Critical Transition Points in Science, Engineering, and Medicine" (workshop held by the Committee on Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine of the National Academies, Washington DC, September 18-19, 2008).

Integrating Social Sustainability in Engineering Education at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Björnberg, Karin Edvardsson; Skogh, Inga-Britt; Strömberg, Emma

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate what are perceived to be the main challenges associated with the integration of social sustainability into engineering education at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm. Design/methodology/approach: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with programme leaders and teachers from…

Evolution of corundum-structured III-oxide semiconductors: Growth, properties, and devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujita, Shizuo; Oda, Masaya; Kaneko, Kentaro; Hitora, Toshimi

2016-12-01

The recent progress and development of corundum-structured III-oxide semiconductors are reviewed. They allow bandgap engineering from 3.7 to ∼9 eV and function engineering, leading to highly durable electronic devices and deep ultraviolet optical devices as well as multifunctional devices. Mist chemical vapor deposition can be a simple and safe growth technology and is advantageous for reducing energy and cost for the growth. This is favorable for the wide commercial use of devices at low cost. The III-oxide semiconductors are promising candidates for new devices contributing to sustainable social, economic, and technological development for the future.

Feasibility of biochar application on a landfill final cover-a review on balancing ecology and shallow slope stability.

PubMed

Chen, Xun-Wen; Wong, James Tsz-Fung; Ng, Charles Wang-Wai; Wong, Ming-Hung

2016-04-01

Due to the increasing concerns on global warming, scarce land for agriculture, and contamination impacts on human health, biochar application is being considered as one of the possible measures for carbon sequestration, promoting higher crop yield and contamination remediation. Significant amount of researches focusing on these three aspects have been conducted during recent years. Biochar as a soil amendment is effective in promoting plant performance and sustainability, by enhancing nutrient bioavailability, contaminants immobilization, and microbial activities. The features of biochar in changing soil physical and biochemical properties are essential in affecting the sustainability of an ecosystem. Most studies showed positive results and considered biochar application as an effective and promising measure for above-mentioned interests. Bio-engineered man-made filled slope and landfill slope increasingly draw the attention of geologists and geotechnical engineers. With increasing number of filled slopes, sustainability, low maintenance, and stability are the major concerns. Biochar as a soil amendment changes the key factors and parameters in ecology (plant development, soil microbial community, nutrient/contaminant cycling, etc.) and slope engineering (soil weight, internal friction angle and cohesion, etc.). This paper reviews the studies on the production, physical and biochemical properties of biochar and suggests the potential areas requiring study in balancing ecology and man-made filled slope and landfill cover engineering. Biochar-amended soil should be considered as a new type of soil in terms of soil mechanics. Biochar performance depends on soil and biochar type which imposes challenges to generalize the research outcomes. Aging process and ecotoxicity studies of biochar are strongly required.

76 FR 63913 - Commercial Building Workforce Job/Task Analyses

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-14

..., Commercial Building Energy Modeler, Commissioning/Retro-Commissioning Authority, Energy/Sustainability..., Commercial Building Energy Modeler, Commissioning/Retro-Commissioning Authority, Energy/Sustainability...-commissioning authority, energy/sustainability manager, facility manager, and/or operating engineer/building...

Starting a European Space Agency Sample Analogue Collection (ESA2C) and Curation Facility for Exploration Missions.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, C. L.; Rumsey, M. S.; Manick, K.; Gill, S.-J.; Mavris, C.; Schroeven-Deceuninck, H.; Duvet, L.

2017-09-01

The ESA2C will support current and future technology development activities that are required for human and robotic exploration of Mars, Phobos, Deimos, C-Type Asteroids and the Moon.The long-term goal of this work is to produce a useful, useable and sustainable resource for engineers and scientists developing technologies for ESA space exploration missions.

Chemical Engineering Students: A Distinct Group among Engineers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Godwin, Allison; Potvin, Geoff

2013-01-01

This paper explores differences between chemical engineering students and students of other engineering disciplines, as identified by their intended college major. The data used in this analysis was taken from the nationally representative Sustainability and Gender in Engineering (SaGE) survey. Chemical engineering students differ significantly…

Education of Sustainability Engineers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oleschko, K.; Perrier, E.; Tarquis, A. M.

2010-05-01

It's not the same to educate the sustainable engineers as to prepare the engineers of Sustainability. In the latter case all existing methods of inventive creativity (Altshuller, 1988) should be introduced in the teaching and research processes in order to create a culture of innovation at a group. The Theory of Inventing Problem Solving (TRIZ) is based on the pioneer works of Genrich Altshuller (1988) and his associated. Altshuller reviewed over 2 million patents beginning in 1946 (Orlov, 2006) and developed the Laws of Evolution of Technological Systems; An Algorithm for Inventive Problem Solving (ARIZ); forty typical Techniques for Overcoming System Conflicts (TOSC); a system of 76 Standard Approaches to Inventive Problems (Standards) etc. (Fey and Rivin, 1997). Nowadays, "a theory and constructive instrument package for the controlled synthesis of ideas and the focused transformation of the object to be improved" (Orlov, 2006) are used with high efficacy as the teaching and thinking inventive problem-solving methods in some high schools (Barak and Mesika, 2006; Sokoi et al., 2008) as well as a framework for research (Moehrle, 2005) in construction industry (Zhang et al., 2009); chemical engineering (Cortes Robles et al., 2008) etc. In 2005 US Congress passed the innovation act with the intent of increasing research investment (Gupta, 2007), while China had included inventive principles of TRIZ in strategy and decision making structure design (Kai Yang, 2010). The integrating of TRIZ into eco-innovation diminishes the common conflicts between technology and environment (Chang and Chen, 2004). In our presentation we show discuss some examples of future patents elaborated by the master degree students of Queretaro University, Faculty of Engineering, Mexico using TRIZ methods. References 1. Altshuller, G., 1988. Creativity as an Exact Science. Gordon and Breach, New York. 2. Chang, Hsiang-Tang and Chen, Jahau Lewis, 2004. The conflict-problem-solving CAD software integrating TRIZ into eco-innovation. Advances in Engineering Software, 35: 553-566. 3. Cortes Robles, G., Negny, S. and Le Lann, J.M., 2008. Case-based reasoning and TRIZ: A coupling for innovative conception in Chemical Engineering. Chemical Engineering and Processing: Process Intensification, 48 (1): 239-249. 4. Gupta, P., 2007. Real Innovation Commentary. http://www. RealInnovation.com. 5. Kai Yang, 2010. Inventive principles of TRIZ with Chinás 36 strategies. TRIZ J., 1-20. 6. Moehrle, M. G., 2005. What is TRIZ? From conceptual basics to a framework for research. Social Science research Network, http://papers.ssrn.com/sol13/papers.cfm?abstract_id=674062. 7. Orlov, M., 2006. Inventive Thinking through TRIZ. A practical Guide, Springer, Berlin, 351. 8. Zhang, X., Mao, X. and AbouRizk, S.M, 2009. Developing a knowledge management system for improved value engineering practices in the construction industry. Automation in Construction, 18 (6): 777-789. 9. Sokol, A., Oget, D., Sonntag, M. and Khomenko, N., 2008. The development of inventive thinking skills in the upper secondary language classroom. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 3 (1): 34-46.

Increasing Awareness of Sustainable Water Management for Future Civil Engineers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilic, Suzana; Karleusa, Barbara; Deluka-Tibljas, Aleksandra

2010-05-01

There are more than 1.2 billion people around the world that do not have access to drinking water. While there are plans under the United Nations Millennium Development Goals to halve this number by 2015, there are a number of regions that will be exposed to water scarcity in the coming future. Providing sufficient water for future development is a great challenge for planners and designers of water supply systems. In order to design sustainable water supplies for the future, it is important to learn how people consume water and how water consumption can be reduced. The education of future civil engineers should take into account not only technical aspects of the water supply but also the accompanying social and economical issues, and appreciated the strengths and weaknesses of traditional solutions. The Faculty of Civil Engineering, at the University of Rijeka, has begun incorporating a series of activities that engage undergraduate students and the local community to develop a mutual understanding of the future needs for sustainable management. We present one of the activities, collaboration with the Lancaster Environment Centre at Lancaster University in the UK through the field course Water and environmental management in Mediterranean context. The course, which is designed for the Lancaster University geography students, features a combination of field trips and visits to provide an understanding of the socio-economic and environmental context of water management in two counties (Istra and Primorsko-Goranska). Students from Lancaster visit the Croatian water authority and a regional water company, where they learn about current management practices and problems in managing water supplies and demand through the year. They make their own observations of current management practices in the field and learn about water consumption from the end users. One day field visit to a village in the area that is still not connected to the main water supply system is organised together with civil engineering students from the University of Rijeka. The aims of this field visit are: to learn about traditional water supply from an underground storage of rain water called cisterna; and to find out from inhabitants about their current water usage habits and expectations, and how these might change when they get water from the main water supply system. This joint activity has been beneficial for both groups of students. The engineering students become aware of the importance of the social aspects in designing the water supply system, while the geography students learn about the engineering challenges entailed. Both groups learn that water consumption increases with the provision of water through pipeline systems and that this needs to be taken into account in the design of water supply and management of water resources. Importantly, they learn the benefits of traditional sustainable water supply methods, which could be implemented as primary or additional sources of water supply in other areas.In summary, both groups of students develop their professional knowledge and skills as well as generic and transferable skills, which are very important for those who will continue to a career in the design and management of water systems.

Metabolic Engineering VII Conference

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kevin Korpics

The aims of this Metabolic Engineering conference are to provide a forum for academic and industrial researchers in the field; to bring together the different scientific disciplines that contribute to the design, analysis and optimization of metabolic pathways; and to explore the role of Metabolic Engineering in the areas of health and sustainability. Presentations, both written and oral, panel discussions, and workshops will focus on both applications and techniques used for pathway engineering. Various applications including bioenergy, industrial chemicals and materials, drug targets, health, agriculture, and nutrition will be discussed. Workshops focused on technology development for mathematical and experimental techniquesmore » important for metabolic engineering applications will be held for more in depth discussion. This 2008 meeting will celebrate our conference tradition of high quality and relevance to both industrial and academic participants, with topics ranging from the frontiers of fundamental science to the practical aspects of metabolic engineering.« less

Systems metabolic engineering of microorganisms for natural and non-natural chemicals.

PubMed

Lee, Jeong Wook; Na, Dokyun; Park, Jong Myoung; Lee, Joungmin; Choi, Sol; Lee, Sang Yup

2012-05-17

Growing concerns over limited fossil resources and associated environmental problems are motivating the development of sustainable processes for the production of chemicals, fuels and materials from renewable resources. Metabolic engineering is a key enabling technology for transforming microorganisms into efficient cell factories for these compounds. Systems metabolic engineering, which incorporates the concepts and techniques of systems biology, synthetic biology and evolutionary engineering at the systems level, offers a conceptual and technological framework to speed the creation of new metabolic enzymes and pathways or the modification of existing pathways for the optimal production of desired products. Here we discuss the general strategies of systems metabolic engineering and examples of its application and offer insights as to when and how each of the different strategies should be used. Finally, we highlight the limitations and challenges to be overcome for the systems metabolic engineering of microorganisms at more advanced levels.

Material research for environmental sustainability in Thailand: current trends

PubMed Central

Niranatlumpong, Panadda; Ramangul, Nudjarin; Dulyaprapan, Pongsak; Nivitchanyong, Siriluck; Udomkitdecha, Werasak

2015-01-01

This article covers recent developments of material research in Thailand with a focus on environmental sustainability. Data on Thailand’s consumption and economic growth are briefly discussed to present a relevant snapshot of its economy. A selection of research work is classified into three topics, namely, (a) resource utilization, (b) material engineering and manufacturing, and (c) life cycle efficiency. Material technologies have been developed and implemented to reduce the consumption of materials, energy, and other valuable resources, thus reducing the burden we place on our ecological system. At the same time, product life cycle study allows us to understand the extent of the environmental impact we impart to our planet. PMID:27877788

Educating the Engineer.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallace, Melanie; Wallace, Mack

2003-01-01

Presented as a conversation between a teacher and engineer about school design, addresses educators' preferences and engineers' perspectives on issues, such as windows, sustainable design, sinks, acoustics, and natural ventilation. (EV)

The Multi-Sector Sustainability Browser (MSSB): A Tool for ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The MSSB is the first and only decision support tool containing information from scientific literature and technical reports that can be used to develop and implement sustainability initiatives. The MSSB is designed to assist individuals and communities in understanding the impacts that the four key dimensions of sustainability - Land Use, Buildings and Infrastructure, Transportation, and Materials Management - can have on human health, the economy, the built environment and natural environments. The MSSB has the following capabilities: a. Displays and describes linkages between the four major sustainability concepts (Land Use, Buildings and Infrastructure, Transportation, and Materials Management) and their subordinate concepts. b. Displays and lists literature sources and references (including weblinks where applicable) providing information about each major sustainability concept and its associated subordinate concepts. c. Displays and lists quantitative data related to each major sustainability concept and its associated subordinate concepts, with weblinks where applicable.The MSSB serves as a ‘visual database’, allowing users to: investigate one or more of the four key sustainability dimensions; explore available scientific literature references, and; assess potential impacts of sustainability activities. The MSSB reduces the amount of time and effort required to assess the state of sustainability science and engineering research pertaining

Automation of Design Engineering Processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Torrey, Glenn; Sawasky, Gerald; Courey, Karim

2004-01-01

A method, and a computer program that helps to implement the method, have been developed to automate and systematize the retention and retrieval of all the written records generated during the process of designing a complex engineering system. It cannot be emphasized strongly enough that all the written records as used here is meant to be taken literally: it signifies not only final drawings and final engineering calculations but also such ancillary documents as minutes of meetings, memoranda, requests for design changes, approval and review documents, and reports of tests. One important purpose served by the method is to make the records readily available to all involved users via their computer workstations from one computer archive while eliminating the need for voluminous paper files stored in different places. Another important purpose served by the method is to facilitate the work of engineers who are charged with sustaining the system and were not involved in the original design decisions. The method helps the sustaining engineers to retrieve information that enables them to retrace the reasoning that led to the original design decisions, thereby helping them to understand the system better and to make informed engineering choices pertaining to maintenance and/or modifications of the system. The software used to implement the method is written in Microsoft Access. All of the documents pertaining to the design of a given system are stored in one relational database in such a manner that they can be related to each other via a single tracking number.

Thar Coalfield: Sustainable Development and an Open Sesame to the Energy Security of Pakistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masih, Adven

2018-04-01

The paper discusses the role of Thar-coalfield, a 175 Billion tones reserve in enhancing the energy and combating global environmental change from the local and regional aspects. Pakistan’s energy requirements are potentially huge. Being the sixth largest country in the world, with its growing population exceeded 190m by 2015. Rising population, improved living standards, increased per capita energy use, and industrialization has led to a high energy demand growth. According to latest reports the gap between the demand and supply of electricity is around 6,000MW. To meet the projected demand exploiting indigenous resources, such as Thar coalfield, a 100,000MW generation capacity reserve, could be the possible answer. Due to sustainable techniques in energy sector, 1) Coal mining is moving towards sustainable development; 2) circular economy has proven useful concept for promoting sustainable development; 3) coal industry can minimize its environmental impact from local to global level. Besides energy goals, environmental degradation associated with the mining activity poses a serious threat to the region. Therefore, some challenges need to be addressed, e.g., discharge management issues, concerns regarding pollution control, lack of technology needed to replenish solid waste; and, increased socioeconomic and environmental pressure on the coal industry. The study discusses how sustainable development measures in Thar coalfield can run the engines of economic growth without hurting the natural environment promoting prosperity in Pakistan.

The Impact of Project-Based Learning on Improving Student Learning Outcomes of Sustainability Concepts in Transportation Engineering Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fini, Elham H.; Awadallah, Faisal; Parast, Mahour M.; Abu-Lebdeh, Taher

2018-01-01

This paper describes an intervention to enhance students' learning by involving students in brainstorming activities about sustainability concepts and their implications in transportation engineering. The paper discusses the process of incorporating the intervention into a transportation course, as well as the impact of this intervention on…

Avoid, Control, Succumb, or Balance: Engineering Students' Approaches to a Wicked Sustainability Problem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lönngren, Johanna; Ingerman, Åke; Svanström, Magdalena

2017-01-01

Wicked sustainability problems (WSPs) are an important and particularly challenging type of problem. Science and engineering education can play an important role in preparing students to deal with such problems, but current educational practice may not adequately prepare students to do so. We address this gap by providing insights related to…

Multiscale design and life-cycle based sustainability assessment of polymer nanocomposite coatings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uttarwar, Rohan G.

In recent years, nanocoatings with exceptionally improved and new performance properties have found numerous applications in the automotive, aerospace, ship-making, chemical, electronics, steel, construction, and many other industries. Especially the formulations providing multiple functionalities to cured paint films are believed to dominate the coatings market in the near future. It has shifted the focus of research towards building sustainable coating recipes which can deliver multiple functionalities through applied films. The challenge to this exciting area of research arrives from the insufficient knowledge about structure-property correlations of nanocoating materials and their design complexity. Experimental efforts have been successful in developing certain types of nanopaints exhibiting improved properties. However, multifunctional nanopaint design optimality is extremely difficult to address if not impossible solely through experiments. In addition to this, the environmental implications and societal risks associated with this growing field of nanotechnology raise several questions related to its sustainable development. This research focuses on the study of a multiscale sustainable nanocoating design which can have the application from novel function envisioning and idea refinement point of view, to knowledge discovery and design solution derivation, and further to performance testing in industrial applications. The nanocoating design is studied using computational simulations of nano- to macro- scale models and sustainability assessment study over the life-cycle. Computational simulations aim at integrating top-down, goals/means, inductive systems engineering and bottom-up, cause and effect, deductive systems engineering approaches for material development. The in-silico paint resin system is a water-dispersible acrylic polymer with hydrophilic nanoparticles incorporated into it. The nano-scale atomistic and micro-scale coarse-grained (CG) level simulations are performed using molecular dynamics methodology to study several structural and morphological features such as effect of polymer molecular weight, polydispersity, rheology, nanoparticle volume fraction, size, shape and chemical nature on the bulk mechanical and self-cleaning properties of the coating film. At macro-scale, a paint spray system which is used for automotive coating application is studied by using CFD-based simulation methodology to generate crucial information about the effects of nanocoating technology on environmental emissions and coating film quality. The cradle-to-grave life-cycle based sustainability assessment study address all the critical issues related to economic benefits, environmental implications and societal effects of nanocoating technology through case studies of automotive coating systems. It is accomplished by identifying crucial correlations among measurable parameters at different stages and developing sustainability indicator matrices for analysis of each stage of life-cycle. The findings from the research can have great potential to draft useful conclusions in favor of future development of coating systems with novel functionalities and improved sustainability.

Photoautotrophic production of D-lactic acid in an engineered cyanobacterium

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The world faces the challenge to develop sustainable technologies to replace thousands of products that have been generated from fossil fuels. Microbial cell factories serve as promising alternatives for the production of diverse commodity chemicals and biofuels from renewable resources. For example, polylactic acid (PLA) with its biodegradable properties is a sustainable, environmentally friendly alternative to polyethylene. At present, PLA microbial production is mainly dependent on food crops such as corn and sugarcane. Moreover, optically pure isomers of lactic acid are required for the production of PLA, where D-lactic acid controls the thermochemical and physical properties of PLA. Henceforth, production of D-lactic acid through a more sustainable source (CO2) is desirable. Results We have performed metabolic engineering on Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 for the phototrophic synthesis of optically pure D-lactic acid from CO2. Synthesis of optically pure D-lactic acid was achieved by utilizing a recently discovered enzyme (i.e., a mutated glycerol dehydrogenase, GlyDH*). Significant improvements in D-lactic acid synthesis were achieved through codon optimization and by balancing the cofactor (NADH) availability through the heterologous expression of a soluble transhydrogenase. We have also discovered that addition of acetate to the cultures improved lactic acid production. More interestingly, 13C-pathway analysis revealed that acetate was not used for the synthesis of lactic acid, but was mainly used for synthesis of certain biomass building blocks (such as leucine and glutamate). Finally, the optimal strain was able to accumulate 1.14 g/L (photoautotrophic condition) and 2.17 g/L (phototrophic condition with acetate) of D-lactate in 24 days. Conclusions We have demonstrated the photoautotrophic production of D-lactic acid by engineering a cyanobacterium Synechocystis 6803. The engineered strain shows an excellent D-lactic acid productivity from CO2. In the late growth phase, the lactate production rate by the engineered strain reached a maximum of ~0.19 g D-lactate/L/day (in the presence of acetate). This study serves as a good complement to the recent metabolic engineering work done on Synechocystis 6803 for L-lactate production. Thereby, our study may facilitate future developments in the use of cyanobacterial cell factories for the commercial production of high quality PLA. PMID:24274114

Photoautotrophic production of D-lactic acid in an engineered cyanobacterium.

PubMed

Varman, Arul M; Yu, Yi; You, Le; Tang, Yinjie J

2013-11-25

The world faces the challenge to develop sustainable technologies to replace thousands of products that have been generated from fossil fuels. Microbial cell factories serve as promising alternatives for the production of diverse commodity chemicals and biofuels from renewable resources. For example, polylactic acid (PLA) with its biodegradable properties is a sustainable, environmentally friendly alternative to polyethylene. At present, PLA microbial production is mainly dependent on food crops such as corn and sugarcane. Moreover, optically pure isomers of lactic acid are required for the production of PLA, where D-lactic acid controls the thermochemical and physical properties of PLA. Henceforth, production of D-lactic acid through a more sustainable source (CO2) is desirable. We have performed metabolic engineering on Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 for the phototrophic synthesis of optically pure D-lactic acid from CO2. Synthesis of optically pure D-lactic acid was achieved by utilizing a recently discovered enzyme (i.e., a mutated glycerol dehydrogenase, GlyDH*). Significant improvements in D-lactic acid synthesis were achieved through codon optimization and by balancing the cofactor (NADH) availability through the heterologous expression of a soluble transhydrogenase. We have also discovered that addition of acetate to the cultures improved lactic acid production. More interestingly, (13)C-pathway analysis revealed that acetate was not used for the synthesis of lactic acid, but was mainly used for synthesis of certain biomass building blocks (such as leucine and glutamate). Finally, the optimal strain was able to accumulate 1.14 g/L (photoautotrophic condition) and 2.17 g/L (phototrophic condition with acetate) of D-lactate in 24 days. We have demonstrated the photoautotrophic production of D-lactic acid by engineering a cyanobacterium Synechocystis 6803. The engineered strain shows an excellent D-lactic acid productivity from CO2. In the late growth phase, the lactate production rate by the engineered strain reached a maximum of ~0.19 g D-lactate/L/day (in the presence of acetate). This study serves as a good complement to the recent metabolic engineering work done on Synechocystis 6803 for L-lactate production. Thereby, our study may facilitate future developments in the use of cyanobacterial cell factories for the commercial production of high quality PLA.

Collection Development: Celebrating Chemistry, February 1, 2011

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamm, Susannah

2011-01-01

A hundred years after Marie Curie received her Nobel Prize in Chemistry, this arm of science is pointing the way to a more sustainable future. Growing movements like green chemistry, which strives to create alternative and new chemical reactions that produce no harmful waste products, and molecular engineering hold great potential for industry,…

The Development and Implementation of an Inquiry-Based Poster Project on Sustainability in a Large Non-Majors Environmental Science Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmitt-Harsh, Mikaela; Harsh, Joseph A.

2013-01-01

In the past decade, systematic studies have indicated a significant regression in scientific literacy in nonscience students and students across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines in higher education. Of particular concern, evaluations of introductory lecture-based undergraduate courses have indicated deficiencies in…

Bringing Environmental Sustainability to Undergraduate Engineering Education: Experiences in an Inter-Disciplinary Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aurandt, Jennifer; Borchers, Andrew Scott; Lynch-Caris, Terri; El-Sayed, Jacqueline; Hoff, Craig

2012-01-01

This paper chronicles the development of an interdisciplinary course in environmentally conscious design at Kettering University, a technologically focused Midwestern university. Funded by the National Science Foundation, a team of six faculty members at Kettering University adapted work done by Ford Motor Company to educate undergraduate STEM…

Changing the Image of CTE

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kidwai, Sabrina

2011-01-01

Times have changed. Global economic competition is increasing and the need to develop a workforce with advanced skills is critical. The push to find sources of sustainable energy, the growing demands of the health care field and that of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)-related sectors are all driving the high-demand jobs in…

3D engineered fiberboard : a new structural building product

Treesearch

John F. Hunt; Jerrold E. Winandy

2002-01-01

To help meet the need for sustainable forest management tools, the USDA Forest Products Laboratory is developing an economically viable process to produce three-dimensional structural fibreboard products that can utilize a wide range of lignocellulosic fibres contained in the forest undergrowth and in underutilized timber. This will encourage the public and private...

SbCOMT (Bmr12) is involved in the biosynthesis of tricin-lignin in sorghum

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Lignin in plant biomass represents a target for engineering strategies towards the development of a sustainable bioeconomy. In addition to the conventional lignin monomers, namely p-coumaryl, coniferyl and sinapyl alcohols, tricin has been shown to be part of the native lignin polymer in certain mon...

Software architecture standard for simulation virtual machine, version 2.0

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sturtevant, Robert; Wessale, William

1994-01-01

The Simulation Virtual Machine (SBM) is an Ada architecture which eases the effort involved in the real-time software maintenance and sustaining engineering. The Software Architecture Standard defines the infrastructure which all the simulation models are built from. SVM was developed for and used in the Space Station Verification and Training Facility.

Practical Pedagogy for Embedding ESD in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Curricula

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hopkinson, Peter; James, Peter

2010-01-01

Purpose--The purpose of this paper is to review and highlight some recent examples of embedding education for sustainable development (ESD), within science and related curricula in ways that are meaningful and relevant to staff and students and reflect on different embedding strategies and discourses. Design/methodology/approach--A review of…

Industrial ecology: Quantitative methods for exploring a lower carbon future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, Valerie M.

2015-03-01

Quantitative methods for environmental and cost analyses of energy, industrial, and infrastructure systems are briefly introduced and surveyed, with the aim of encouraging broader utilization and development of quantitative methods in sustainable energy research. Material and energy flow analyses can provide an overall system overview. The methods of engineering economics and cost benefit analysis, such as net present values, are the most straightforward approach for evaluating investment options, with the levelized cost of energy being a widely used metric in electricity analyses. Environmental lifecycle assessment has been extensively developed, with both detailed process-based and comprehensive input-output approaches available. Optimization methods provide an opportunity to go beyond engineering economics to develop detailed least-cost or least-impact combinations of many different choices.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1974-06-01

This illustration shows the docking configuration of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP). The ASTP was the first international docking of the U.S.'s Apollo spacecraft and the U.S.S.R.'s Soyuz spacecraft in space. A joint engineering team from the two countries met to develop a docking system that permitted the two spacecraft to link in space and allowed the two crews to travel from one spacecraft to the other. This system entailed developing a large habitable Docking Module (DM) to be carried on the Apollo spacecraft to facilitate the joining of two dissimilar spacecraft. The Marshall Space Flight Center was responsible for development and sustaining engineering of the Saturn IB launch vehicle during the mission. The ASTP marked the last use of the Saturn Launch Vehicle.

X-43C Flight Demonstrator Project Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moses, Paul L.

2003-01-01

The X-43C Flight Demonstrator Project is a joint NASA-USAF hypersonic propulsion technology flight demonstration project that will expand the hypersonic flight envelope for air-breathing engines. The Project will demonstrate sustained accelerating flight through three flights of expendable X-43C Demonstrator Vehicles (DVs). The approximately 16-foot long X-43C DV will be boosted to the starting test conditions, separate from the booster, and accelerate from Mach 5 to Mach 7 under its own power and autonomous control. The DVs will be powered by a liquid hydrocarbon-fueled, fuel-cooled, dual-mode, airframe integrated scramjet engine system developed under the USAF HyTech Program. The Project is managed by NASA Langley Research Center as part of NASA's Next Generation Launch Technology Program. Flight tests will be conducted by NASA Dryden Flight Research Center off the coast of California over water in the Pacific Test Range. The NASA/USAF/industry project is a natural extension of the Hyper-X Program (X-43A), which will demonstrate short duration (approximately 10 seconds) gaseous hydrogen-fueled scramjet powered flight at Mach 7 and Mach 10 using a heavy-weight, largely heat sink construction, experimental engine. The X-43C Project will demonstrate sustained accelerating flight from Mach 5 to Mach 7 (approximately 4 minutes) using a flight-weight, fuel-cooled, scramjet engine powered by much denser liquid hydrocarbon fuel. The X-43C DV design flows from integrating USAF HyTech developed engine technologies with a NASA Air-Breathing Launch Vehicle accelerator-class configuration and Hyper-X heritage vehicle systems designs. This paper describes the X-43C Project and provides the background for NASA's current hypersonic flight demonstration efforts.

Electronic Communities: a Forum for Supporting Women Professionals and Students in Technical and Scientific Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Single, Peg Boyle; Muller, Carol B.; Cunningham, Christine M.; Single, Richard M.

In this article, we report on electronic discussion lists (e-lists) sponsored by MentorNet, the National Electronic Industrial Mentoring Network for Women in Engineering and Science. Using the Internet, the MentorNet program connects students in engineering and science with mentors working in industry. These e-lists are a feature of MentorNet's larger electronic mentoring program and were sponsored to foster the establishment of community among women engineering and science students and men and women professionals in those fields. This research supports the hypothesis that electronic communications can be used to develop community among engineering and science students and professionals and identifies factors influencing the emergence of electronic communities (e-communities). The e-lists that emerged into self-sustaining e-communities were focused on topic-based themes, such as balancing personal and work life, issues pertaining to women in engineering and science, and job searching. These e-communities were perceived to be safe places, embraced a diversity of opinions and experiences, and sanctioned personal and meaningful postings on the part of the participants. The e-communities maintained three to four simultaneous threaded discussions and were sustained by professionals who served as facilitators by seeding the e-lists with discussion topics. The e-lists were sponsored to provide women students participating in MentorNet with access to groups of technical and scientific professionals. In addition to providing benefits to the students, the e-lists also provided the professionals with opportunities to engage in peer mentoring with other, mostly female, technical and scientific professionals. We discuss the implications of our findings for developing e-communities and for serving the needs of women in technical and scientific fields.

Systems, Society, Sustainability and the Geosciences: A Workshop to Create New Curricular Materials to Integrate Geosciences into the Teaching of Sustainability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gosselin, D. C.; Manduca, C. A.; Oches, E. A.; MacGregor, J.; Kirk, K. B.

2012-12-01

Sustainability is emerging as a central theme for teaching about the environment, whether it be from the perspective of science, economics, or society. The Systems, Society, Sustainability and the Geosciences workshop provided 48 undergraduate faculty from 46 institutions a forum to discuss the challenges and possibilities for integrating geoscience concepts with a range of other disciplines to teach about the fundamentals of sustainability. Participants from community college to doctorate-granting universities had expertise that included geosciences, agriculture, biological sciences, business, chemistry, economics, ethnic studies, engineering, environmental studies, environmental education, geography, history, industrial technology, landscape design, philosophy, physics, and political science. The workshop modeled a range of teaching strategies that encouraged participants to network and collaborate, share successful strategies and materials for teaching sustainability, and identify opportunities for the development of new curricular materials that will have a major impact on the integration of geosciences into the teaching of sustainability. The workshop design provided participants an opportunity to reflect upon their teaching, learning, and curriculum. Throughout the workshop, participants recorded their individual and collective ideas in a common online workspace to which all had access. A preliminary synthesis of this information indicates that the concept of sustainability is a strong organizing principle for modern, liberal education requiring systems thinking, synthesis and contributions from all disciplines. Sustainability is inherently interdisciplinary and provides a framework for educational collaboration between and among geoscientists, natural/physical scientists, social scientists, humanists, engineers, etc.. This interdisciplinary framework is intellectually exciting and productive for educating students at all levels of higher education. Sustainability also provides a productive bridge from global to local issues, and vice versa. It has the potential to raise the value placed on faculty engagement with local resources and research questions, and to bring community-based stakeholders outside of academia into the classroom. There are many challenges that participants from geographically diverse parts of the country have in common, including the creation of new courses, and teaching interdisciplinary material beyond one's area of expertise. However, one of the greatest opportunities of using a sustainability theme is that it can be integrated into existing courses. It was also clear that incorporating one module on a sustainability topic can be stimulating and powerful mechanism for linking course content to real world issues. Two of the most important outcomes from the workshop were the creation of an online collection of activities and courses (http://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/workshops/sustainability2012/index.html) as well as the development of a community that can support integration of geoscience and issues of sustainability across the curriculum.

Energy Savings and Sustainability Opportunities at US Army Corps of Engineers Facilities: A Guide to Identify, Prioritize, and Estimate Projects at Complexes That Have Not Conducted a Facility-Level Energy and Water Evaluation

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-16

Engineers to help identify and develop energy and water conservation projects in the facilities for which they are responsible. DISCLAIMER: The...and water throughout their facility. To identify energy and water conservation measures (ECMs), an energy manager would generally start by performing...an Energy and Water Conservation Assessment, essentially a facility-level evaluation of the en- ergy and water consuming equipment and systems that

Molecular genetic improvements of cyanobacteria to enhance the industrial potential of the microbe: A review.

PubMed

Johnson, Tylor J; Gibbons, Jaimie L; Gu, Liping; Zhou, Ruanbao; Gibbons, William R

2016-11-01

The rapid increase in worldwide population coupled with the increasing demand for fossil fuels has led to an increased urgency to develop sustainable sources of energy and chemicals from renewable resources. Using microorganisms to produce high-value chemicals and next-generation biofuels is one sustainable option and is the focus of much current research. Cyanobacteria are ideal platform organisms for chemical and biofuel production because they can be genetically engineered to produce a broad range of products directly from CO 2 , H 2 O, and sunlight, and require minimal nutrient inputs. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview on advances that have been or could be made to improve strains of cyanobacteria for industrial purposes. First, the benefits of using cyanobacteria as a platform for chemical and biofuel production are discussed. Next, an overview of cyanobacterial strain improvements by genetic engineering is provided. Finally, mutagenesis techniques to improve the industrial potential of cyanobacteria are described. Along with providing an overview on various areas of research that are currently being investigated to improve the industrial potential of cyanobacteria, this review aims to elucidate potential targets for future research involving cyanobacteria as an industrial microorganism. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 32:1357-1371, 2016. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Survival ethics in the real world: the research university and sustainable development.

PubMed

Verharen, Charles; Tharakan, John; Bugarin, Flordeliz; Fortunak, Joseph; Kadoda, Gada; Middendorf, George

2014-03-01

We discuss how academically-based interdisciplinary teams can address the extreme challenges of the world's poorest by increasing access to the basic necessities of life. The essay's first part illustrates the evolving commitment of research universities to develop ethical solutions for populations whose survival is at risk and whose quality of life is deeply impaired. The second part proposes a rationale for university responsibility to solve the problems of impoverished populations at a geographical remove. It also presents a framework for integrating science, engineering and ethics in the efforts of multidisciplinary teams dedicated to this task. The essay's third part illustrates the efforts of Howard University researchers to join forces with African university colleagues in fleshing out a model for sustainable and ethical global development.

Design and development of synthetic microbial platform cells for bioenergy

PubMed Central

Lee, Sang Jun; Lee, Sang-Jae; Lee, Dong-Woo

2013-01-01

The finite reservation of fossil fuels accelerates the necessity of development of renewable energy sources. Recent advances in synthetic biology encompassing systems biology and metabolic engineering enable us to engineer and/or create tailor made microorganisms to produce alternative biofuels for the future bio-era. For the efficient transformation of biomass to bioenergy, microbial cells need to be designed and engineered to maximize the performance of cellular metabolisms for the production of biofuels during energy flow. Toward this end, two different conceptual approaches have been applied for the development of platform cell factories: forward minimization and reverse engineering. From the context of naturally minimized genomes,non-essential energy-consuming pathways and/or related gene clusters could be progressively deleted to optimize cellular energy status for bioenergy production. Alternatively, incorporation of non-indigenous parts and/or modules including biomass-degrading enzymes, carbon uptake transporters, photosynthesis, CO2 fixation, and etc. into chassis microorganisms allows the platform cells to gain novel metabolic functions for bioenergy. This review focuses on the current progress in synthetic biology-aided pathway engineering in microbial cells and discusses its impact on the production of sustainable bioenergy. PMID:23626588

The Role and Function of the Vocational Education and Training in the New Economic Plan in Korea. Case Studies on Technical and Vocational Education in Asia and the Pacific.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Taeck-Duck

Korea must develop a new policy framework to sustain its economic development. Democratic principles, such as voluntary participation and creative initiatives by the private sector, should replace government guidance and control as the economy's engine of growth. Major goals of the new economy are as follows: promotion of industrial structural…

Model-Driven Engineering: Automatic Code Generation and Beyond

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-01

and Weblogic as well as cloud environments such as Mi- crosoft Azure and Amazon Web Services®. Finally, while the generated code has dependencies on...code generation in the context of the full system lifecycle from development to sustainment. Acquisition programs in govern- ment or large commercial...Acquirers are concerned with the full system lifecycle, and they need confidence that the development methods will enable the system to meet the functional

Data Integration for Dynamic and Sustainable Systems Biology Resources: Challenges and Lessons Learned

PubMed Central

Gabbard, Joseph L.; Shukla, Maulik; Sobral, Bruno

2010-01-01

Systems biology and infectious disease (host-pathogen-environment) research and development is becoming increasingly dependent on integrating data from diverse and dynamic sources. Maintaining integrated resources over long periods of time presents distinct challenges. This paper describes experiences and lessons learned from integrating data in two five-year projects focused on pathosystems biology: the Pathosystems Resource Integration Center (PATRIC, http://patric.vbi.vt.edu/), with a goal of developing bioinformatics resources for the research and countermeasures development communities based on genomics data, and the Resource Center for Biodefense Proteomics Research (RCBPR, http://www.proteomicsresource.org/), with a goal of developing resources based on the experiment data such as microarray and proteomics data from diverse sources and technologies. Some challenges include integrating genomic sequence and experiment data, data synchronization, data quality control, and usability engineering. We present examples of a variety of data integration problems drawn from our experiences with PATRIC and RBPRC, as well as open research questions related to long term sustainability, and describe the next steps to meeting these challenges. Novel contributions of this work include (1) an approach for addressing discrepancies between experiment results and interpreted results and (2) expanding the range of data integration techniques to include usability engineering at the presentation level. PMID:20491070

Aggregate stability, root length and root thickness influenced by a mycorrhizal inoculum? - Results from a three-year eco-engineering field experiment on an alpine slope.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bast, Alexander; Wilcke, Wolfgang; Lüscher, Peter; Graf, Frank; Gärtner, Holger

2014-05-01

In mountain environments many slopes are covered by coarse grained, glacial-, periglacial- or/and denudation-derived substrate. These slopes show a high geomorphic activity and are susceptible for erosional processes, shallow landslides or debris flows, which can result in a high socio-economic hazard potential. This is especially true for steep slopes, lacking a protecting vegetation cover. Regarding hazard prevention, eco-engineering gained in importance because related techniques provide a sustainable measure to protect erosion-prone hillslopes. The idea of using plants for sustainable erosion control and protection against shallow landslides, demands some essential requirements, as e.g., a stable seedbed providing appropriate water and nutrient supply. However, degraded alpine slopes are often unstable and the coarse-grained material shows a low retention capacity of water and nutrients. Extreme conditions like this hamper a fast and sustainable development of a protecting vegetation cover even if pioneer plants are used to stabilize the slopes. Thus, the question arises what needs to be done to give planted saplings within eco-engineering projects maximum support developing their above- and belowground structures to promote slope stabilization. Laboratory experiments using potted plants have shown a positive impact of mycorrhizal fungi inoculation plant development and soil structure, i.e. the formation of (stable) aggregates within several months. Soil aggregate stability is an integrating parameter, reflecting several aspects of the plant-soil system and for this also an indicator of soil development and soil stability. Because of this and based on the promising laboratory results, we intended to apply this approach in a field-experiment We established (i) mycorrhizal and (ii) non-mycorrhizal treated eco-engineered research plots on a field experimental scale, covering a total area of approx. 1000 m2 on an ENE exposed slope (coarse morainic and denudation-derived substrate; inclination ~40 - 45 °; elevation 1220 - 1360 m a.s.l.) located in the Eastern Swiss Alps, where many environmental parameters can be seen as homogeneous. Soil aggregate stability, the formation of water stable aggregates and the fine-root development was quantified at the end of three consecutively vegetation periods. Our results show, that an impact of the mycorrhizal inoculum on aggregate stability was not traceable after one vegetation period, which contradicts our expectations and former laboratory experiments. At the mycorrhizal inoculated site, fine roots showed indeed a lower root length density compared to the non-mycorrhizal treated site, but the proportion of roots with thicker diameters tended to be higher. At the end of the third vegetation period this pattern changed. Aggregate stability is then highest at the inoculated site and root length density increased showing the highest values as well. The tendency to thicker root diameters at the mycorrhizal treated site can be confirmed. Our findings show that studies on a field experimental scale are inevitable. Laboratory experiments and field studies complement each other, and lead to a better understanding, having regard to a successful application of sustainable eco-engineering measures on erosion-prone slopes in alpine environments.

Leveling the Playing Field: Teacher Perception of Integrated STEM, Engineering, and Engineering Practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fincher, Bridgette Ann

The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions and approaches of 14 third-through-fifth grade Arkansan elementary teachers towards integrative engineering and engineering practices during 80 hours of integrated STEM professional development training in the summer and fall of 2014. This training was known as Project Flight. The purpose of the professional development was to learn integrated STEM content related to aviation and to write grade level curriculum units using Wiggins and McTighe's Understanding by Design curriculum framework. The current study builds upon on the original research. Using a mixed method exploratory, embedded QUAL[quan] case study design and a non-experimental convenience sample derived from original 20 participants of Project Flight, this research sought to answer the following question: Does professional development influence elementary teachers' perceptions of the curriculum and instruction of integrated STEM engineering and engineering practices in a 3-to-5 grade level setting? A series of six qualitative and one quantitative sub-questions informed the research of the mixed method question. Hermeneutic content analysis was applied to archival and current qualitative data sets while descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, and repeated measures ANOVA tests were performed on the quantitative data. Broad themes in the teachers' perceptions and understanding of the nature of integrated engineering and engineering practices emerged through triangulation. After the professional development and the teaching of the integrated STEM units, all 14 teachers sustained higher perceptions of personal self-efficacy in their understanding of Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The teachers gained understanding of engineering and engineering practices, excluding engineering habits of mind, throughout the professional development training and unit teaching. The research resulted in four major findings specific to elementary engineering, which included engineering as student social agency and empowerment and the emergence of the engineering design loop as a new heuristic, and three more general non-engineering specific findings. All seven, however, have implications for future elementary engineering professional development as teachers in adopting states start to transition into using the NGSS standards.

CONSTRUCTING A GENERAL SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS THEORY

EPA Science Inventory

Sustainability atracts enormous interest in the minds of the public and the scientific and engineering community because it holds the promise of a long-term solution to environmental problems. Sustainability, however, is mathematically loosely defined. There is no widely accepted...

CONSTRUCTING A GENERAL SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS THEORY

EPA Science Inventory

Sustainability attracts enormous interest in the minds of the public and the scientific and engineering community because it holds the promise of a long-tem solution to environmental problems. Sustainability, however, is mathematically loosely defined. There is no widely accepted...

Design, engineering, and construction of photosynthetic microbial cell factories for renewable solar fuel production.

PubMed

Lindblad, Peter; Lindberg, Pia; Oliveira, Paulo; Stensjö, Karin; Heidorn, Thorsten

2012-01-01

There is an urgent need to develop sustainable solutions to convert solar energy into energy carriers used in the society. In addition to solar cells generating electricity, there are several options to generate solar fuels. This paper outlines and discusses the design and engineering of photosynthetic microbial systems for the generation of renewable solar fuels, with a focus on cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria are prokaryotic microorganisms with the same type of photosynthesis as higher plants. Native and engineered cyanobacteria have been used by us and others as model systems to examine, demonstrate, and develop photobiological H(2) production. More recently, the production of carbon-containing solar fuels like ethanol, butanol, and isoprene have been demonstrated. We are using a synthetic biology approach to develop efficient photosynthetic microbial cell factories for direct generation of biofuels from solar energy. Present progress and advances in the design, engineering, and construction of such cyanobacterial cells for the generation of a portfolio of solar fuels, e.g., hydrogen, alcohols, and isoprene, are presented and discussed. Possibilities and challenges when introducing and using synthetic biology are highlighted.

Biorefineries - New Green Strategy For Development Of Smart And Innovative Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Płaza, Grażyna A.; Wandzich, Dorota

2016-09-01

Ecological engineering or ecotechnology is defined as the design of sustainable production that integrate human society with the natural environment for the benefit of both. In order to reach the goal of sustainability therefore important that bioproduct production systems are converted from to natural cycle oriented. In natural cycles there are not waste, but products are generated at different stages of the cycle. The ecotechnology creates a sustainable bioeconomy using biomass in a smart and efficient way. The biorefining sector, which uses smart, innovative and efficient technologies to convert biomass feedstocks into a range of bio-based products including fuels, chemicals, power, food, and renewable oils, currently presents the innovative and efficient bio-based production can revitalize existing industries. The paper presents the concept of biorefinery as the ecotechnological approach for creating a sustainable bioeconomy using biomass in a smart and efficient way.

Engineered Chloroplast Genome just got Smarter

PubMed Central

Jin, Shuangxia; Daniell, Henry

2015-01-01

Chloroplasts are known to sustain life on earth by providing food, fuel and oxygen through the process of photosynthesis. However, the chloroplast genome has also been smartly engineered to confer valuable agronomic traits and/or serve as bioreactors for production of industrial enzymes, biopharmaceuticals, bio-products or vaccines. The recent breakthrough in hyper-expression of biopharmaceuticals in edible leaves has facilitated the advancement to clinical studies by major pharmaceutical companies. This review critically evaluates progress in developing new tools to enhance or simplify expression of targeted genes in chloroplasts. These tools hold the promise to further the development of novel fuels and products, enhance the photosynthetic process, and increase our understanding of retrograde signaling and cellular processes. PMID:26440432

Progress of succinic acid production from renewable resources: Metabolic and fermentative strategies.

PubMed

Jiang, Min; Ma, Jiangfeng; Wu, Mingke; Liu, Rongming; Liang, Liya; Xin, Fengxue; Zhang, Wenming; Jia, Honghua; Dong, Weiliang

2017-12-01

Succinic acid is a four-carbon dicarboxylic acid, which has attracted much interest due to its abroad usage as a precursor of many industrially important chemicals in the food, chemicals, and pharmaceutical industries. Facing the shortage of crude oil supply and demand of sustainable development, biological production of succinic acid from renewable resources has become a topic of worldwide interest. In recent decades, robust producing strain selection, metabolic engineering of model strains, and process optimization for succinic acid production have been developed. This review provides an overview of succinic acid producers and cultivation technology, highlight some of the successful metabolic engineering approaches. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vascularisation to improve translational potential of tissue engineering systems for cardiac repair.

PubMed

Dilley, Rodney J; Morrison, Wayne A

2014-11-01

Cardiac tissue engineering is developing as an alternative approach to heart transplantation for treating heart failure. Shortage of organ donors and complications arising after orthotopic transplant remain major challenges to the modern field of heart transplantation. Engineering functional myocardium de novo requires an abundant source of cardiomyocytes, a biocompatible scaffold material and a functional vasculature to sustain the high metabolism of the construct. Progress has been made on several fronts, with cardiac cell biology, stem cells and biomaterials research particularly promising for cardiac tissue engineering, however currently employed strategies for vascularisation have lagged behind and limit the volume of tissue formed. Over ten years we have developed an in vivo tissue engineering model to construct vascularised tissue from various cell and tissue sources, including cardiac tissue. In this article we review the progress made with this approach and others, together with their potential to support a volume of engineered tissue for cardiac tissue engineering where contractile mass impacts directly on functional outcomes in translation to the clinic. It is clear that a scaled-up cardiac tissue engineering solution required for clinical treatment of heart failure will include a robust vascular supply for successful translation. This article is part of a directed issue entitled: Regenerative Medicine: the challenge of translation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Advances in Tissue Engineering Techniques for Articular Cartilage Repair

PubMed Central

Haleem, AM; Chu, CR

2010-01-01

The limited repair potential of human articular cartilage contributes to development of debilitating osteoarthritis and remains a great clinical challenge. This has led to evolution of cartilage treatment strategies from palliative to either reconstructive or reparative methods in an attempt to delay or “bridge the gap” to joint replacement. Further development of tissue engineering-based cartilage repair methods have been pursued to provide a more functional biological tissue. Currently, tissue engineering of articular cartilage has three cornerstones; a cell population capable of proliferation and differentiation into mature chondrocytes, a scaffold that can host these cells, provide a suitable environment for cellular functioning and serve as a sustained-release delivery vehicle of chondrogenic growth factors and thirdly, signaling molecules and growth factors that stimulate the cellular response and the production of a hyaline extracellular matrix (ECM). The aim of this review is to summarize advances in each of these three fields of tissue engineering with specific relevance to surgical techniques and technical notes. PMID:29430164

The MUSES Satellite Team and Multidisciplinary System Engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, John C.; Paiz, Alfred R.; Young, Donald L.

1997-01-01

In a unique partnership between three minority-serving institutions and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a new course sequence, including a multidisciplinary capstone design experience, is to be developed and implemented at each of the schools with the ambitious goal of designing, constructing and launching a low-orbit Earth-resources satellite. The three universities involved are North Carolina A&T State University (NCA&T), University of Texas, El Paso (UTEP), and California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA). The schools form a consortium collectively known as MUSES - Minority Universities System Engineering and Satellite. Four aspects of this project make it unique: (1) Including all engineering disciplines in the capstone design course, (2) designing, building and launching an Earth-resources satellite, (3) sustaining the partnership between the three schools to achieve this goal, and (4) implementing systems engineering pedagogy at each of the three schools. This paper will describe the partnership and its goals, the first design of the satellite, the courses developed at NCA&T, and the implementation plan for the course sequence.

Search and rescue in collapsed structures: engineering and social science aspects.

PubMed

El-Tawil, Sherif; Aguirre, Benigno

2010-10-01

This paper discusses the social science and engineering dimensions of search and rescue (SAR) in collapsed buildings. First, existing information is presented on factors that influence the behaviour of trapped victims, particularly human, physical, socioeconomic and circumstantial factors. Trapped victims are most often discussed in the context of structural collapse and injuries sustained. Most studies in this area focus on earthquakes as the type of disaster that produces the most extensive structural damage. Second, information is set out on the engineering aspects of urban search and rescue (USAR) in the United States, including the role of structural engineers in USAR operations, training and certification of structural specialists, and safety and general procedures. The use of computational simulation to link the engineering and social science aspects of USAR is discussed. This could supplement training of local SAR groups and USAR teams, allowing them to understand better the collapse process and how voids form in a rubble pile. A preliminary simulation tool developed for this purpose is described. © 2010 The Author(s). Journal compilation © Overseas Development Institute, 2010.

Solvent production by engineered Ralstonia eutropha: channeling carbon to biofuel.

PubMed

Chakravarty, Jayashree; Brigham, Christopher J

2018-06-01

Microbial production of solvents like acetone and butanol was a couple of the first industrial fermentation processes to gain global importance. These solvents are important feedstocks for the chemical and biofuel industry. Ralstonia eutropha is a facultatively chemolithoautotrophic bacterium able to grow with organic substrates or H 2 and CO 2 under aerobic conditions. This bacterium is a natural producer of polyhydroxyalkanoate biopolymers. Recently, with the advances in the development of genetic engineering tools, the range of metabolites R. eutropha can produce has enlarged. Its ability to utilize various carbon sources renders it an interesting candidate host for synthesis of renewable biofuel and solvent production. This review focuses on progress in metabolic engineering of R. eutropha for the production of alcohols, terpenes, methyl ketones, and alka(e)nes using various resources. Biological synthesis of solvents still presents the challenge of high production costs and competition from chemical synthesis. Better understanding of R. eutropha biology will support efforts to engineer and develop superior microbial strains for solvent production. Continued research on multiple fronts is required to engineer R. eutropha for truly sustainable and economical solvent production.

Experience of maintaining laboratory educational website's sustainability

PubMed Central

Dimenstein, Izak B.

2016-01-01

Laboratory methodology websites are specialized niche websites. The visibility of a niche website transforms it into an authority site on a particular “niche of knowledge.” This article presents some ways in which a laboratory methodology website can maintain its sustainability. The optimal composition of the website includes a basic content, a blog, and an ancillary part. This article discusses experimenting with the search engine optimization query results page. Strategic placement of keywords and even phrases, as well as fragmentation of the post's material, can improve the website's visibility to search engines. Hyperlinks open a chain reaction of additional links and draw attention to the previous posts. Publications in printed periodicals are a substantial part of a niche website presence on the Internet. Although this article explores a laboratory website on the basis of our hands-on expertise maintaining “Grossing Technology in Surgical Pathology” (www.grossing-technology.com) website with a high volume of traffic for more than a decade, the recommendations presented here for developing an authority website can be applied to other professional specialized websites. The authority websites visibility and sustainability are preconditions for aggregating them in a specialized educational laboratory portal. PMID:27688928

Experience of maintaining laboratory educational website's sustainability.

PubMed

Dimenstein, Izak B

2016-01-01

Laboratory methodology websites are specialized niche websites. The visibility of a niche website transforms it into an authority site on a particular "niche of knowledge." This article presents some ways in which a laboratory methodology website can maintain its sustainability. The optimal composition of the website includes a basic content, a blog, and an ancillary part. This article discusses experimenting with the search engine optimization query results page. Strategic placement of keywords and even phrases, as well as fragmentation of the post's material, can improve the website's visibility to search engines. Hyperlinks open a chain reaction of additional links and draw attention to the previous posts. Publications in printed periodicals are a substantial part of a niche website presence on the Internet. Although this article explores a laboratory website on the basis of our hands-on expertise maintaining "Grossing Technology in Surgical Pathology" (www.grossing-technology.com) website with a high volume of traffic for more than a decade, the recommendations presented here for developing an authority website can be applied to other professional specialized websites. The authority websites visibility and sustainability are preconditions for aggregating them in a specialized educational laboratory portal.

A Rubric to Analyze Student Abilities to Engage in Sustainable Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, Mary Katherine; Barrella, Elise; Wall, Thomas A.; Noyes, Caroline; Rodgers, Michael

2017-01-01

As engineering programs have begun to infuse sustainability into their undergraduate curricula, assessment tools are needed to further inform these reform efforts. The goal of this project was to demonstrate the use of a new rubric to examine students' abilities to engage in sustainable design. The rubric includes 16 sustainable design criteria…

Sustainable Schools Program and Practice: Partnership Building with the Tempe Union High School District

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koster, Auriane; Denker, Brendan

2012-01-01

Arizona State University's (ASU) Global Institute of Sustainability (GIOS) was awarded a five-year National Science Foundation (NSF) GK-12 grant in 2009 entitled "Sustainability Science for Sustainable Schools." The general focus of the grant is on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education in K-12 schools. The…

Genetic engineering for skeletal regenerative medicine.

PubMed

Gersbach, Charles A; Phillips, Jennifer E; García, Andrés J

2007-01-01

The clinical challenges of skeletal regenerative medicine have motivated significant advances in cellular and tissue engineering in recent years. In particular, advances in molecular biology have provided the tools necessary for the design of gene-based strategies for skeletal tissue repair. Consequently, genetic engineering has emerged as a promising method to address the need for sustained and robust cellular differentiation and extracellular matrix production. As a result, gene therapy has been established as a conventional approach to enhance cellular activities for skeletal tissue repair. Recent literature clearly demonstrates that genetic engineering is a principal factor in constructing effective methods for tissue engineering approaches to bone, cartilage, and connective tissue regeneration. This review highlights this literature, including advances in the development of efficacious gene carriers, novel cell sources, successful delivery strategies, and optimal target genes. The current status of the field and the challenges impeding the clinical realization of these approaches are also discussed.

Development and characterisation of electrospun timolol maleate-loaded polymeric contact lens coatings containing various permeation enhancers.

PubMed

Mehta, Prina; Al-Kinani, Ali A; Arshad, Muhammad Sohail; Chang, Ming-Wei; Alany, Raid G; Ahmad, Zeeshan

2017-10-30

Despite exponential growth in research relating to sustained and controlled ocular drug delivery, anatomical and chemical barriers of the eye still pose formulation challenges. Nanotechnology integration into the pharmaceutical industry has aided efforts in potential ocular drug device development. Here, the integration and in vitro effect of four different permeation enhancers (PEs) on the release of anti-glaucoma drug timolol maleate (TM) from polymeric nanofiber formulations is explored. Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) engineering, more specifically electrospinning, was used to engineer nanofibers (NFs) which coated the exterior of contact lenses. Parameters used for engineering included flow rates ranging from 8 to 15μL/min and a novel EHD deposition system was used; capable of hosting four lenses, masked template and a ground electrode to direct charged atomised structures. SEM analysis of the electrospun structures confirmed the presence of smooth nano-fibers; whilst thermal analysis confirmed the stability of all formulations. In vitro release studies demonstrated a triphasic release; initial burst release with two subsequent sustained release phases with most of the drug being released after 24h (86.7%) Biological evaluation studies confirmed the tolerability of all formulations tested with release kinetics modelling results showing drug release was via quasi-Fickian or Fickian diffusion. There were evident differences (p<0.05) in TM release dependant on permeation enhancer. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Multi-scale exploration of the technical, economic, and environmental dimensions of bio-based chemical production.

PubMed

Zhuang, Kai H; Herrgård, Markus J

2015-09-01

In recent years, bio-based chemicals have gained traction as a sustainable alternative to petrochemicals. However, despite rapid advances in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology, there remain significant economic and environmental challenges. In order to maximize the impact of research investment in a new bio-based chemical industry, there is a need for assessing the technological, economic, and environmental potentials of combinations of biomass feedstocks, biochemical products, bioprocess technologies, and metabolic engineering approaches in the early phase of development of cell factories. To address this issue, we have developed a comprehensive Multi-scale framework for modeling Sustainable Industrial Chemicals production (MuSIC), which integrates modeling approaches for cellular metabolism, bioreactor design, upstream/downstream processes and economic impact assessment. We demonstrate the use of the MuSIC framework in a case study where two major polymer precursors (1,3-propanediol and 3-hydroxypropionic acid) are produced from two biomass feedstocks (corn-based glucose and soy-based glycerol) through 66 proposed biosynthetic pathways in two host organisms (Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae). The MuSIC framework allows exploration of tradeoffs and interactions between economy-scale objectives (e.g. profit maximization, emission minimization), constraints (e.g. land-use constraints) and process- and cell-scale technology choices (e.g. strain design or oxygenation conditions). We demonstrate that economy-scale assessment can be used to guide specific strain design decisions in metabolic engineering, and that these design decisions can be affected by non-intuitive dependencies across multiple scales. Copyright © 2015 International Metabolic Engineering Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preliminary Outcomes from a Week-Long Environmental Engineering Summer Camp for High School Female Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balasubramanian, S.; Koloutsou-Vakakis, S.

2014-12-01

There is a need for environment engineers and sustainability managers to address global environmental, energy and health challenges. Environmental literacy programs at K-12 level provide a unique opportunity in motivating young minds in joining STEM and also provide additional value in learning about "saving planet earth". The Women in Engineering at the University of Illinois organize an annual week long camp, for female high school students with tracks corresponding to different fields of Engineering. The Environmental Engineering and Sustainability (EES) track is organized by faculty and graduate students of the Civil and Environmental Engineering department and introduces students to concepts in sustainability and systems thinking in connection with air and water quality, climate change and renewable energy. This study is a preliminary assessment of the relevance of the EES outreach track conducted in July 2014 in student learning. Specific goals include assessing (a) demographics of participants and their motivation to join this camp, (b) educational and enjoyability quotients of the modules and (c) learning and motivational outcomes using the Likert scale. A pre-camp survey indicated keen interest in learning about environmental engineering (4.56/5.0) and expected this camp to be a venue to learn about related career choices (4.9/5.0). Five days of instruction were divided thematically and included a mix of lectures, activity based learning, demonstrations and field visits. Overall modules were rated as educational (4.4/5.0) and enjoyable (4.5/5.0). Modules with hands-on learning were best received (4.67/5.0) and rated unique (4.7/5.0). Post camp, participants acknowledged the important contribution of environmental engineers to society (4.8/5.0) and could relate the different modules to the role engineer's play (4.06/5.0) for sustainability. On an average, the participants evinced interest in engineering as a career choice (4.0/5.0) but there was a broader range of responses regarding environmental engineering as their career choice (3.13/5.0).

Planning and implementing forest operations to achieve sustainable forests: Proceedings of papers presented at the joint meeting of the Council on Forest Engineering and International Union of Forest Research Organizations.

Treesearch

Charles R. Blinn; Michael A. Thompson

1996-01-01

Contains a variety of papers presented at the joint meeting of the Council on Forest Engineering and International Union of Forest Research Organizations Subject Group S3.04 and that support the meeting theme "Planning and Implementing Forest Operations to Achieve Sustainable Forests."

33 CFR 165.510 - Delaware Bay and River, Salem River, Christina River and Schuylkill River-Regulated Navigation Area.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... within the regulated navigation area and: (i) Sustained winds are greater than 25 knots but less than 40 knots, ensure the main engines are ready to provide full power in five minutes or less; and (ii) Sustained winds are 40 knots or over, ensure that the main engines are on line to immediately provide...

Editors' overview perspectives on teaching social responsibility to students in science and engineering.

PubMed

Zandvoort, Henk; Børsen, Tom; Deneke, Michael; Bird, Stephanie J

2013-12-01

Global society is facing formidable current and future problems that threaten the prospects for justice and peace, sustainability, and the well-being of humanity both now and in the future. Many of these problems are related to science and technology and to how they function in the world. If the social responsibility of scientists and engineers implies a duty to safeguard or promote a peaceful, just and sustainable world society, then science and engineering education should empower students to fulfil this responsibility. The contributions to this special issue present European examples of teaching social responsibility to students in science and engineering, and provide examples and discussion of how this teaching can be promoted, and of obstacles that are encountered. Speaking generally, education aimed at preparing future scientists and engineers for social responsibility is presently very limited and seemingly insufficient in view of the enormous ethical and social problems that are associated with current science and technology. Although many social, political and professional organisations have expressed the need for the provision of teaching for social responsibility, important and persistent barriers stand in the way of its sustained development. What is needed are both bottom-up teaching initiatives from individuals or groups of academic teachers, and top-down support to secure appropriate embedding in the university. Often the latter is lacking or inadequate. Educational policies at the national or international level, such as the Bologna agreements in Europe, can be an opportunity for introducing teaching for social responsibility. However, frequently no or only limited positive effect of such policies can be discerned. Existing accreditation and evaluation mechanisms do not guarantee appropriate attention to teaching for social responsibility, because, in their current form, they provide no guarantee that the curricula pay sufficient attention to teaching goals that are desirable for society as a whole.

Liquid Oxygen/Liquid Methane Propulsion and Cryogenic Advanced Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klem, Mark D.; Smith, Timothy D.; Wadel, Mary F.; Meyer, Michael L.; Free, James M.; Cikanek, Harry A., III

2011-01-01

Exploration Systems Architecture Study conducted by NASA in 2005 identified the liquid oxygen (LOx)/liquid methane (LCH4) propellant combination as a prime candidate for the Crew Exploration Vehicle Service Module propulsion and for later use for ascent stage propulsion of the lunar lander. Both the Crew Exploration Vehicle and Lunar Lander were part the Constellation architecture, which had the objective to provide global sustained lunar human exploration capability. From late 2005 through the end of 2010, NASA and industry matured advanced development designs for many components that could be employed in relatively high thrust, high delta velocity, pressure fed propulsion systems for these two applications. The major investments were in main engines, reaction control engines, and the devices needed for cryogenic fluid management such as screens, propellant management devices, thermodynamic vents, and mass gauges. Engine and thruster developments also included advanced high reliability low mass igniters. Extensive tests were successfully conducted for all of these elements. For the thrusters and engines, testing included sea level and altitude conditions. This advanced development provides a mature technology base for future liquid oxygen/liquid methane pressure fed space propulsion systems. This paper documents the design and test efforts along with resulting hardware and test results.

The Impact of Attitudes toward Science and Core Self-Evaluation on Science Achievement and Career Outcomes: A Trajectory-Based Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chao, Jessica Lena

2017-01-01

A talented, innovative workforce in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is a critical component of sustained economic growth and global competitiveness. The development of this workforce is a primary concern among policymakers, industry leaders, and academics. Although many students express an interest in STEM in secondary…

Organizing Partnerships for Sustainable Community Economic Development: Lessons Learned from the University of Illinois-Chicago Neighborhoods Initiative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzalez, Atanacio; Ramasubramanian, Laxmi; Ali, Asma M.; Eichelkraut, Amanda J.

2005-01-01

Urban universities are often characterized as economic engines--directly and indirectly serving the needs of the communities within which they are situated. However, the relationship between urban universities and their neighbors is often strained. Reflecting on the University of Illinois at Chicago's Neighborhoods Initiative (UICNI) and its…

Engaging Pupils in the Science, Engineering and Technology of a Low-Energy School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charnley, Fiona; Fleming, Paul; Fleming, Margaret; Mill, Greig

2010-01-01

The UK Government's Building Schools for the Future programme has provided schools with a unique opportunity to improve education for sustainable development substantially by giving pupils the chance to study within a real-life context. This article documents an engagement project in which experts in low-energy building design are facilitating…

The Impact of High School Principal's Technology Leadership on the Sustainability of Corporate Sponsored Information Communication Technology Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gottwig, Bruce Ryan

2013-01-01

The proliferation of information communication technology (ICT) has placed educational institutions in the forefront in educating and training students as skilled consumers, engineers, and technicians of this widely used technology. Corporations that develop and use ICT are continually building a skilled workforce; however, because of the growth…

A national collaboration process: Finnish engineering education for the benefit of people and environment.

PubMed

Takala, A; Korhonen-Yrjänheikki, K

2013-12-01

The key stakeholders of the Finnish engineering education collaborated during 2006-09 to reform the system of education, to face the challenges of the changing business environment and to create a national strategy for the Finnish engineering education. The work process was carried out using participatory work methods. Impacts of sustainable development (SD) on engineering education were analysed in one of the subprojects. In addition to participatory workshops, the core part of the work on SD consisted of a research with more than 60 interviews and an extensive literature survey. This paper discusses the results of the research and the work process of the Collaboration Group in the subproject of SD. It is suggested that enhancing systematic dialogue among key stakeholders using participatory work methods is crucial in increasing motivation and commitment in incorporating SD in engineering education. Development of the context of learning is essential for improving skills of engineering graduates in some of the key abilities related to SD: systemic- and life-cycle thinking, ethical understanding, collaborative learning and critical reflection skills. This requires changing of the educational paradigm from teacher-centred to learner-centred applying problem- and project-oriented active learning methods.

Co-Optimization of Fuels and Engines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Farrell, John

2016-03-24

The Co-Optimization of Fuels and Engines (Co-Optima) initiative is a new DOE initiative focused on accelerating the introduction of affordable, scalable, and sustainable biofuels and high-efficiency, low-emission vehicle engines. The simultaneous fuels and vehicles research and development (R&D) are designed to deliver maximum energy savings, emissions reduction, and on-road vehicle performance. The initiative's integrated approach combines the previously independent areas of biofuels and combustion R&D, bringing together two DOE Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy research offices, ten national laboratories, and numerous industry and academic partners to simultaneously tackle fuel and engine research and development (R&D) to maximize energymore » savings and on-road vehicle performance while dramatically reducing transportation-related petroleum consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This multi-year project will provide industry with the scientific underpinnings required to move new biofuels and advanced engine systems to market faster while identifying and addressing barriers to their commercialization. This project's ambitious, first-of-its-kind approach simultaneously tackles fuel and engine innovation to co-optimize performance of both elements and provide dramatic and rapid cuts in fuel use and emissions. This presentation provides an overview of the project.« less

Effects of Epidermal Growth Factor-Loaded Mucoadhesive Films on Wounded Oral Tissue Rafts

PubMed Central

Ramineni, Sandeep K.; Fowler, Craig B.; Fisher, Paul D.; Cunningham, Larry L.; Puleo, David A.

2015-01-01

Current treatments for traumatic oral mucosal wounds include the gold standard of autologous tissue and alternative tissue engineered grafts. While use of autografts has disadvantages of minimal availability of oral keratinized tissue, second surgery, and donor site discomfort, tissue engineered grafts are limited by their unavailability as off-the-shelf products owing to their fabrication time of 4–8 weeks. Hence, the current work aimed to develop a potentially cost-effective, readily available device capable of enhancing native mucosal regeneration. Considering the key role of epidermal growth factor (EGF) in promoting mucosal wound regeneration and the advantages of mucoadhesive delivery systems, mucoadhesive films composed of polyvinylpyrrolidone and carboxymethylcellulose were developed to provide sustained release of EGF for minimum of 6 hours. Bioactivity of released EGF supernatants was then confirmed by its ability to promote proliferation of BALB/3T3 fibroblasts. Efficacy of the developed system was then investigated in vitro using buccal tissues (ORL 300-FT) as a potential replacement for small animal studies. Although the mucoadhesive films achieved their desired role of delivering bioactive EGF in a sustained manner, treatment with EGF, irrespective of its release from the films or solubilized in medium, caused a hyperparakeratotic response from in vitro tissues with distinguishable histological features including thickening of the spinous layer, intra- and intercellular edema, and pyknotic nuclei. These significant morphological changes were associated with no improvements in wound closure. These observations raise questions about the potential of using in vitro tissues as a wound healing model and substitute for small animal studies. The mucoadhesive delivery system developed, however, with its potential for sustained release of bioactive growth factors and small molecules, may be loaded with other desired compounds, with or without EGF, to accelerate the process of wound healing. PMID:25729882

Flight Test Evaluation of a Nonlinear Hub Spring on a UH-1H Helicopter.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-04-01

APPLIED TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY POSITION STATEMENT This report documents the engineering analysis, development , arnd flight test of a non- linger hub...order to develop a design criteria to ensure that mast loads can be sustained during in-flight flapping stop contact. In addition, a comparison of the...LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1 Rotor blade-element aerodynamic coefficients used in ARHF01 .................................. 18 2 Rotor model on

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1974-01-01

This illustration depicts a comparison of two space vehicles, the U.S.'s Saturn IB launch vehicle and the U.S.S.R.'s Soyuz launch vehicle, for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. The ASTP was the first international docking of the U.S.'s Apollo spacecraft and the U.S.S.R.'s Soyuz spacecraft in space. A joint engineering team from the two countries met to develop a docking system that permitted the two spacecraft to link in space and allowed the two crews to travel from one spacecraft to the other. This system entailed developing a large habitable Docking Module (DM) to be carried on the Apollo spacecraft to facilitate the joining of two dissimilar spacecraft. The Marshall Space Flight Center was responsible for development and sustaining engineering of the Saturn IB launch vehicle during the mission.

Viabilidad de la independencia de la red en areas residenciales de Puerto Rico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zamot Ayala, Hector Rene

The energy situation is one of the most talked about and controversial problems worldwide. The heavy reliance on fossil fuels and all the implications that they bring in our social, political, economic and environmental stability are issues that should be treated with responsibility and sensitivity. Unfortunately, Puerto Rico relies almost 99% of fossil fuels, which directly or indirectly affects various sectors of our society and of our natural environment. Ideally, appropriate steps should be considered to achieve a real change in our energy public policy in order to promote and encourage the use of renewable energy sources as part of sustainable development for the island. In this work, the technical, economic and social aspects are studied and analyzed to determine how feasible may be some of the decisions already taken and the ones to be made regarding our energy situation. Casa Pueblo is the model used to demonstrate that the determined will of a self-managed community group in the town of Adjuntas has been instrumental in the energy transition, along with the educational collaboration of the Mayaguez Campus of the University of Puerto Rico. An assessment of the situation of the energy public policy regarding our power system has been performed from an ethical and moral perspective to determine how sustainable it has been and how sustainable is the projected long term future. In these times where most issues like climate change and sustainable development predominate, it is essential that the vision of engineers be one that highlights and takes responsibility with moral and ethical values when evaluating for decision making. Ethics theory concepts have been integrated to provide a framework that represents a basis of excellence in the profession of engineering.

Development of Chemical Process Design and Control for ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This contribution describes a novel process systems engineering framework that couples advanced control with sustainability evaluation and decision making for the optimization of process operations to minimize environmental impacts associated with products, materials, and energy. The implemented control strategy combines a biologically inspired method with optimal control concepts for finding more sustainable operating trajectories. The sustainability assessment of process operating points is carried out by using the U.S. E.P.A.’s Gauging Reaction Effectiveness for the ENvironmental Sustainability of Chemistries with a multi-Objective Process Evaluator (GREENSCOPE) tool that provides scores for the selected indicators in the economic, material efficiency, environmental and energy areas. The indicator scores describe process performance on a sustainability measurement scale, effectively determining which operating point is more sustainable if there are more than several steady states for one specific product manufacturing. Through comparisons between a representative benchmark and the optimal steady-states obtained through implementation of the proposed controller, a systematic decision can be made in terms of whether the implementation of the controller is moving the process towards a more sustainable operation. The effectiveness of the proposed framework is illustrated through a case study of a continuous fermentation process for fuel production, whose materi

Use of Soft Computing Technologies for a Qualitative and Reliable Engine Control System for Propulsion Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trevino, Luis; Brown, Terry; Crumbley, R. T. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The problem to be addressed in this paper is to explore how the use of Soft Computing Technologies (SCT) could be employed to improve overall vehicle system safety, reliability, and rocket engine performance by development of a qualitative and reliable engine control system (QRECS). Specifically, this will be addressed by enhancing rocket engine control using SCT, innovative data mining tools, and sound software engineering practices used in Marshall's Flight Software Group (FSG). The principle goals for addressing the issue of quality are to improve software management, software development time, software maintenance, processor execution, fault tolerance and mitigation, and nonlinear control in power level transitions. The intent is not to discuss any shortcomings of existing engine control methodologies, but to provide alternative design choices for control, implementation, performance, and sustaining engineering, all relative to addressing the issue of reliability. The approaches outlined in this paper will require knowledge in the fields of rocket engine propulsion (system level), software engineering for embedded flight software systems, and soft computing technologies (i.e., neural networks, fuzzy logic, data mining, and Bayesian belief networks); some of which are briefed in this paper. For this effort, the targeted demonstration rocket engine testbed is the MC-1 engine (formerly FASTRAC) which is simulated with hardware and software in the Marshall Avionics & Software Testbed (MAST) laboratory that currently resides at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, building 4476, and is managed by the Avionics Department. A brief plan of action for design, development, implementation, and testing a Phase One effort for QRECS is given, along with expected results. Phase One will focus on development of a Smart Start Engine Module and a Mainstage Engine Module for proper engine start and mainstage engine operations. The overall intent is to demonstrate that by employing soft computing technologies, the quality and reliability of the overall scheme to engine controller development is further improved and vehicle safety is further insured. The final product that this paper proposes is an approach to development of an alternative low cost engine controller that would be capable of performing in unique vision spacecraft vehicles requiring low cost advanced avionics architectures for autonomous operations from engine pre-start to engine shutdown.

Silicon carbide, an emerging high temperature semiconductor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Matus, Lawrence G.; Powell, J. Anthony

1991-01-01

In recent years, the aerospace propulsion and space power communities have expressed a growing need for electronic devices that are capable of sustained high temperature operation. Applications for high temperature electronic devices include development instrumentation within engines, engine control, and condition monitoring systems, and power conditioning and control systems for space platforms and satellites. Other earth-based applications include deep-well drilling instrumentation, nuclear reactor instrumentation and control, and automotive sensors. To meet the needs of these applications, the High Temperature Electronics Program at the Lewis Research Center is developing silicon carbide (SiC) as a high temperature semiconductor material. Research is focussed on developing the crystal growth, characterization, and device fabrication technologies necessary to produce a family of silicon carbide electronic devices and integrated sensors. The progress made in developing silicon carbide is presented, and the challenges that lie ahead are discussed.

Strategies for Teaching Professional Ethics to IT Engineering Degree Students and Evaluating the Result.

PubMed

Miñano, Rafael; Uruburu, Ángel; Moreno-Romero, Ana; Pérez-López, Diego

2017-02-01

This paper presents an experience in developing professional ethics by an approach that integrates knowledge, teaching methodologies and assessment coherently. It has been implemented for students in both the Software Engineering and Computer Engineering degree programs of the Technical University of Madrid, in which professional ethics is studied as a part of a required course. Our contribution of this paper is a model for formative assessment that clarifies the learning goals, enhances the results, simplifies the scoring and can be replicated in other contexts. A quasi-experimental study that involves many of the students of the required course has been developed. To test the effectiveness of the teaching process, the analysis of ethical dilemmas and the use of deontological codes have been integrated, and a scoring rubric has been designed. Currently, this model is also being used to develop skills related to social responsibility and sustainability for undergraduate and postgraduate students of diverse academic context.

Use of Soft Computing Technologies For Rocket Engine Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trevino, Luis C.; Olcmen, Semih; Polites, Michael

2003-01-01

The problem to be addressed in this paper is to explore how the use of Soft Computing Technologies (SCT) could be employed to further improve overall engine system reliability and performance. Specifically, this will be presented by enhancing rocket engine control and engine health management (EHM) using SCT coupled with conventional control technologies, and sound software engineering practices used in Marshall s Flight Software Group. The principle goals are to improve software management, software development time and maintenance, processor execution, fault tolerance and mitigation, and nonlinear control in power level transitions. The intent is not to discuss any shortcomings of existing engine control and EHM methodologies, but to provide alternative design choices for control, EHM, implementation, performance, and sustaining engineering. The approaches outlined in this paper will require knowledge in the fields of rocket engine propulsion, software engineering for embedded systems, and soft computing technologies (i.e., neural networks, fuzzy logic, and Bayesian belief networks), much of which is presented in this paper. The first targeted demonstration rocket engine platform is the MC-1 (formerly FASTRAC Engine) which is simulated with hardware and software in the Marshall Avionics & Software Testbed laboratory that

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

The Mira supercomputer at the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility helped Argonne researchers model what happens inside an engine when you use gasoline in a diesel engine. Engineers are exploring this type of combustion as a sustainable transportation option because it may be more efficient than traditional gasoline combustion engines but produce less soot than diesel.

Engineering application of anaerobic ammonium oxidation process in wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Mao, Nianjia; Ren, Hongqiang; Geng, Jinju; Ding, Lili; Xu, Ke

2017-08-01

Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (Anammox), a promising biological nitrogen removal process, has been verified as an efficient, sustainable and cost-effective alternative to conventional nitrification and denitrification processes. To date, more than 110 full-scale anammox plants have been installed and are in operation, treating industrial NH 4 + -rich wastewater worldwide, and anammox-based technologies are flourishing. This review the current state of the art for engineering applications of the anammox process, including various anammox-based technologies, reactor selection and attempts to apply it at different wastewater plants. Process control and implementation for stable performance are discussed as well as some remaining issues concerning engineering application are exposed, including the start-up period, process disturbances, greenhouse gas emissions and especially mainstream anammox applications. Finally, further development of the anammox engineering application is proposed in this review.

A Multidisciplinary Approach to Decommissioning Offshore Wells Using Stakeholder Engagement, Risk Identification, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Battalora, L.; Prasad, M.

2017-12-01

Context/PurposeThe typical oil and gas project lifecycle includes acquisition, exploration, drilling, production, and decommissioning phases. The oil and gas industry (Industry) has become proactive in identifying and mitigating health, safety, security, environment, and social responsibility risks during these phases as well as designing for sustainable development. With many fields reaching the end stages of the lifecycle, Industry is faced with the challenge of identifying and evaluating risks in the decommissioning phase. The level of challenge is increased when planning for the decommissioning of offshore wells. This paper describes tools that can be applied in the multidisciplinary design of the decommissioning program including use of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). MethodsStakeholder engagement is key to a successful project. Typical stakeholders in an oil and gas project include the community, regulatory agencies, federal, state, and local governments, private investors, academia, and non-governmental organizations. Before engagement begins, stakeholders must be identified as well as their level of influence in the project. Relationships between stakeholders are "mapped" providing a better understanding of priorities and areas of concentration. Project risks are identified and ranked according to likelihood and impact. Mitigations are matched to risks. Sustainable development is implemented through acknowledgement of societal, economic, and environmental impacts in engineering design. InterpretationRecently, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and IPIECA, the global oil and gas industry association for environmental and social issues, partnered to develop the publication, Mapping the oil and gas industry to the Sustainable Development Goals: An Atlas. SDGs have been linked to Industry operations and can serve as a guide for the offshore decommissioning phase ConclusionA multidisciplinary approach using stakeholder engagement and risk identification tools and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals is recommended for designing the decommissioning program of offshore wells. This recommendation also applies to onshore decommissioning programs.

NASA software documentation standard software engineering program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

The NASA Software Documentation Standard (hereinafter referred to as Standard) can be applied to the documentation of all NASA software. This Standard is limited to documentation format and content requirements. It does not mandate specific management, engineering, or assurance standards or techniques. This Standard defines the format and content of documentation for software acquisition, development, and sustaining engineering. Format requirements address where information shall be recorded and content requirements address what information shall be recorded. This Standard provides a framework to allow consistency of documentation across NASA and visibility into the completeness of project documentation. This basic framework consists of four major sections (or volumes). The Management Plan contains all planning and business aspects of a software project, including engineering and assurance planning. The Product Specification contains all technical engineering information, including software requirements and design. The Assurance and Test Procedures contains all technical assurance information, including Test, Quality Assurance (QA), and Verification and Validation (V&V). The Management, Engineering, and Assurance Reports is the library and/or listing of all project reports.

ELEMENTS OF A MATHEMATICAL THEORY OF SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS

EPA Science Inventory

The subject of Sustainability has recently attracted enormous interest in the minds of both the public and the scientific and engineering community. The reason for this interest is the fact that the concept of Sustainability holds the promise of a solution to society's long-term ...

Harmonizing Settlement, Infrastructure, and Population Data to Support Sustainable Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, R. S.; de Sherbinin, A. M.; Yetman, G.

2016-12-01

The geospatial data community has been developing global-scale georeferenced population, human settlements, and infrastructure data for more than two decades, pushing available technologies to process ever growing amounts of data and increase the resolution of the outputs. These population, settlement, and infrastructure data products have seen wide use in varied aspects of sustainable development, including agriculture, energy, water, health, land use, transportation, risk management, and climate impact assessment. However, in most cases, data development has been driven by the availability of specific data sources (e.g., census data, night-time lights, radar data, or moderate- to high-resolution imagery), rather than by an integrated view of how best to characterize human settlement patterns over time and space on multiple dimensions using diverse data sources. Such an integrated view would enhance our ability to observe, model, and predict where on the planet people live and work—in the past, present, and future—and under what conditions, i.e., in relationship not only to environmental systems, resources, extremes, and changes, but also to the human settlements and built infrastructure that mediate impacts on both people and the environment. We report here on a new international effort to improve understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of existing and planned georeferenced data products, and to create a collaborative community across the natural, social, health, engineering, and data sciences and the public and private sectors supporting data integration and coordination to meet sustainable development data needs. Opportunities exist to share data and expertise, coordinate activities, pool computing resources, reduce duplication, improve data quality and harmonization, and facilitate effective data use for sustainable development monitoring and decision making, especially with respect to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the international community in September 2015.

[Theory and practice of bionic cultivation of traditional Chinese medicine].

PubMed

Liu, Dahui; Huang, Luqi; Guo, Lanping; Shao, Aijuan; Chen, Meilan

2009-03-01

The bionic cultivation of medicinal plant is an ecological cultivation pattern, which is adopting ecological engineering and modern agricultural techniques to simulate the natural ecosystem of wild medicinal plant community, and has been given greater attention on the agriculture of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It is also the cross subject that combines Chinese traditional medicine, agronomy, horticulture, ecology, agricultural engineering and management. Moreover, it has significant technology advantages of promoting the sustainable utilization of medicinal plant resources, improving the ecological environment and harmonizing man and nature. So it's important to develop the bionic cultivation of TCM.

Spacecraft Testing Programs: Adding Value to the Systems Engineering Process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Britton, Keith J.; Schaible, Dawn M.

2011-01-01

Testing has long been recognized as a critical component of spacecraft development activities - yet many major systems failures may have been prevented with more rigorous testing programs. The question is why is more testing not being conducted? Given unlimited resources, more testing would likely be included in a spacecraft development program. Striking the right balance between too much testing and not enough has been a long-term challenge for many industries. The objective of this paper is to discuss some of the barriers, enablers, and best practices for developing and sustaining a strong test program and testing team. This paper will also explore the testing decision factors used by managers; the varying attitudes toward testing; methods to develop strong test engineers; and the influence of behavior, culture and processes on testing programs. KEY WORDS: Risk, Integration and Test, Validation, Verification, Test Program Development

ASME Code Efforts Supporting HTGRs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

D.K. Morton

2010-09-01

In 1999, an international collaborative initiative for the development of advanced (Generation IV) reactors was started. The idea behind this effort was to bring nuclear energy closer to the needs of sustainability, to increase proliferation resistance, and to support concepts able to produce energy (both electricity and process heat) at competitive costs. The U.S. Department of Energy has supported this effort by pursuing the development of the Next Generation Nuclear Plant, a high temperature gas-cooled reactor. This support has included research and development of pertinent data, initial regulatory discussions, and engineering support of various codes and standards development. This reportmore » discusses the various applicable American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) codes and standards that are being developed to support these high temperature gascooled reactors during construction and operation. ASME is aggressively pursuing these codes and standards to support an international effort to build the next generation of advanced reactors so that all can benefit.« less

ASME Code Efforts Supporting HTGRs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

D.K. Morton

2011-09-01

In 1999, an international collaborative initiative for the development of advanced (Generation IV) reactors was started. The idea behind this effort was to bring nuclear energy closer to the needs of sustainability, to increase proliferation resistance, and to support concepts able to produce energy (both electricity and process heat) at competitive costs. The U.S. Department of Energy has supported this effort by pursuing the development of the Next Generation Nuclear Plant, a high temperature gas-cooled reactor. This support has included research and development of pertinent data, initial regulatory discussions, and engineering support of various codes and standards development. This reportmore » discusses the various applicable American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) codes and standards that are being developed to support these high temperature gascooled reactors during construction and operation. ASME is aggressively pursuing these codes and standards to support an international effort to build the next generation of advanced reactors so that all can benefit.« less

ASME Code Efforts Supporting HTGRs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

D.K. Morton

2012-09-01

In 1999, an international collaborative initiative for the development of advanced (Generation IV) reactors was started. The idea behind this effort was to bring nuclear energy closer to the needs of sustainability, to increase proliferation resistance, and to support concepts able to produce energy (both electricity and process heat) at competitive costs. The U.S. Department of Energy has supported this effort by pursuing the development of the Next Generation Nuclear Plant, a high temperature gas-cooled reactor. This support has included research and development of pertinent data, initial regulatory discussions, and engineering support of various codes and standards development. This reportmore » discusses the various applicable American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) codes and standards that are being developed to support these high temperature gascooled reactors during construction and operation. ASME is aggressively pursuing these codes and standards to support an international effort to build the next generation of advanced reactors so that all can benefit.« less

Integrative sensing and prediction of urban water for sustainable cities (iSPUW)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seo, D. J.; Fang, N. Z.; Yu, X.; Zink, M.; Gao, J.; Kerkez, B.

2014-12-01

We describe a newly launched project in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex (DFW) area to develop a cyber-physical prototype system that integrates advanced sensing, modeling and prediction of urban water, to support its early adoption by a spectrum of users and stakeholders, and to educate a new generation of future sustainability scientists and engineers. The project utilizes the very high-resolution precipitation and other sensing capabilities uniquely available in DFW as well as crowdsourcing and cloud computing to advance understanding of the urban water cycle and to improve urban sustainability from transient shocks of heavy-to-extreme precipitation under climate change and urbanization. All available water information from observations and models will be fused objectively via advanced data assimilation to produce the best estimate of the state of the uncertain system. Modeling, prediction and decision support tools will be developed in the ensemble framework to increase the information content of the analysis and prediction and to support risk-based decision making.

Effective Engineering Outreach through an Undergraduate Mentoring Team and Module Database

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Colin; Butterfield, Anthony E.

2014-01-01

The rising need for engineers has led to increased interest in community outreach in engineering departments nationwide. We present a sustainable outreach model involving trained undergraduate mentors to build ties with K-12 teachers and students. An associated online module database of chemical engineering demonstrations, available to educators…

A Project-Based Cooperative Approach to Teaching Sustainable Energy Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Verbic, Gregor; Keerthisinghe, Chanaka; Chapman, Archie C.

2017-01-01

Engineering education is undergoing a restructuring driven by the needs of an increasingly multidisciplinary engineering profession. At the same time, power systems are transitioning toward future smart grids that will require power engineers with skills outside of the core power engineering domain. Since including new topics in the existing…

Developing Sustainable Urban Water-Energy Infrastructures: Applying a Multi-Sectoral Social-Ecological-Infrastructural Systems (SEIS) Framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramaswami, A.

2016-12-01

Urban infrastructure - broadly defined to include the systems that provide water, energy, food, shelter, transportation-communication, sanitation and green/public spaces in cities - have tremendous impact on the environment and on human well-being (Ramaswami et al., 2016; Ramaswami et al., 2012). Aggregated globally, these sectors contribute 90% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and 96% of global water withdrawals. Urban infrastructure contributions to such impacts are beginning to dominate. Cities are therefore becoming the action arena for infrastructure transformations that can achieve high levels of service delivery while reducing environmental impacts and enhancing human well-being. Achieving sustainable urban infrastructure transitions requires: information about the engineered infrastructure, and its interaction with the natural (ecological-environmental) and the social sub-systems In this paper, we apply a multi-sector, multi-scalar Social-Ecological-Infrastructural Systems framework that describes the interactions among biophysical engineered infrastructures, the natural environment and the social system in a systems-approach to inform urban infrastructure transformations. We apply the SEIS framework to inform water and energy sector transformations in cities to achieve environmental and human health benefits realized at multiple scales - local, regional and global. Local scales address pollution, health, wellbeing and inequity within the city; regional scales address regional pollution, scarcity, as well as supply risks in the water-energy sectors; global impacts include greenhouse gas emissions and climate impacts. Different actors shape infrastructure transitions including households, businesses, and policy actors. We describe the development of novel cross-sectoral strategies at the water-energy nexus in cities, focusing on water, waste and energy sectors, in a case study of Delhi, India. Ramaswami, A.; Russell, A.G.; Culligan, P.J.; Sharma, K.R.; Kumar, E. (2016). Meta-Principles for developing smart, sustainable, and healthy cities, Science, 352(6288), 940-3. Ramaswami, A., et al. A Social-Ecological Infrastructural Systems Framework for Inter-Disciplinary Study of Sustainable City-Systems. J. Ind Ecol, 16(6): 801-813, 2012.

SURF: Taking Sustainable Remediation from Concept to Standard Operating Procedure (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, L. M.; Wice, R. B.; Torrens, J.

2013-12-01

Over the last decade, many sectors of industrialized society have been rethinking behavior and re-engineering practices to reduce consumption of energy and natural resources. During this time, green and sustainable remediation (GSR) has evolved from conceptual discussions to standard operating procedure for many environmental remediation practitioners. Government agencies and private sector entities have incorporated GSR metrics into their performance criteria and contracting documents. One of the early think tanks for the development of GSR was the Sustainable Remediation Forum (SURF). SURF brings together representatives of government, industry, consultancy, and academia to parse the means and ends of incorporating societal and economic considerations into environmental cleanup projects. Faced with decades-old treatment programs with high energy outputs and no endpoints in sight, a small group of individuals published the institutional knowledge gathered in two years of ad hoc meetings into a 2009 White Paper on sustainable remediation drivers, practices, objectives, and case studies. Since then, SURF has expanded on those introductory topics, publishing its Framework for Integrating Sustainability into Remediation Projects, Guidance for Performing Footprint Analyses and Life-Cycle Assessments for the Remediation Industry, a compendium of metrics, and a call to improve the integration of land remediation and reuse. SURF's research and members have also been instrumental in the development of additional guidance through ASTM International and the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council. SURF's current efforts focus on water reuse, the international perspective on GSR (continuing the conversations that were the basis of SURF's December 2012 meeting at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC), and ways to capture and evaluate the societal benefits of site remediation. SURF also promotes and supports student chapters at universities across the US, encouraging the incorporation of sustainability concepts into environmental science and engineering in undergraduate curricula and graduate research, and student participation at professional conferences. This presentation will provide an overview of the evolution of GSR to-date and a history of SURF's technical and outreach work. Examples will be provided--using both qualitative and quantitative metrics--that document and support the benefits of GSR.

How can plant genetic engineering contribute to cost-effective fish vaccine development for promoting sustainable aquaculture?

PubMed

Clarke, Jihong Liu; Waheed, Mohammad Tahir; Lössl, Andreas G; Martinussen, Inger; Daniell, Henry

2013-09-01

Aquaculture, the fastest growing food-producing sector, now accounts for nearly 50 % of the world's food fish (FAO in The state of world fisheries and aquaculture. FAO, Rome, 2010). The global aquaculture production of food fish reached 62.7 million tonnes in 2011 and is continuously increasing with an estimated production of food fish of 66.5 million tonnes in 2012 (a 9.4 % increase in 1 year, FAO, www.fao.org/fishery/topic/16140 ). Aquaculture is not only important for sustainable protein-based food fish production but also for the aquaculture industry and economy worldwide. Disease prevention is the key issue to maintain a sustainable development of aquaculture. Widespread use of antibiotics in aquaculture has led to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the accumulation of antibiotics in the environment, resulting in water and soil pollution. Thus, vaccination is the most effective and environmentally-friendly approach to combat diseases in aquaculture to manage fish health. Furthermore, when compared to >760 vaccines against human diseases, there are only about 30 fish vaccines commercially available, suggesting the urgent need for development and cost-effective production of fish vaccines for managing fish health, especially in the fast growing fish farming in Asia where profit is minimal and therefore given high priority. Plant genetic engineering has made significant contributions to production of biotech crops for food, feed, valuable recombinant proteins etc. in the past three decades. The use of plants for vaccine production offers several advantages such as low cost, safety and easy scaling up. To date a large number of plant-derived vaccines, antibodies and therapeutic proteins have been produced for human health, of which a few have been made commercially available. However, the development of animal vaccines in plants, especially fish vaccines by genetic engineering, has not yet been addressed. Therefore, there is a need to exploit plant biotechnology for cost effective fish vaccine development in plants, in particular, edible crops for oral fish vaccines. This review provides insight into (1) the current status of fish vaccine and vaccination in aquaculture, (2) plant biotechnology and edible crops for fish vaccines for oral administration, (3) regulatory constraints and (4) conclusions and future perspectives.

Transformative Learning: Innovating Sustainability Education in Built Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iyer-Raniga, Usha; Andamon, Mary Myla

2016-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to evaluate how transformative learning is key to innovating sustainability education in the built environment in the region's universities, in addition to reporting on the research project undertaken to integrate sustainability thinking and practice into engineering/built environment curricula in Asia-Pacific…

Datasets on demographic trends in enrollment into undergraduate engineering programs at Covenant University, Nigeria.

PubMed

Popoola, Segun I; Atayero, Aderemi A; Badejo, Joke A; Odukoya, Jonathan A; Omole, David O; Ajayi, Priscilla

2018-06-01

In this data article, we present and analyze the demographic data of undergraduates admitted into engineering programs at Covenant University, Nigeria. The population distribution of 2649 candidates admitted into Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Information and Communication Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Petroleum Engineering programs between 2002 and 2009 are analyzed by gender, age, and state of origin. The data provided in this data article were retrieved from the student bio-data submitted to the Department of Admissions and Student Records (DASR) and Center for Systems and Information Services (CSIS) by the candidates during the application process into the various engineering undergraduate programs. These vital information is made publicly available, after proper data anonymization, to facilitate empirical research in the emerging field of demographics analytics in higher education. A Microsoft Excel spreadsheet file is attached to this data article and the data is thoroughly described for easy reuse. Descriptive statistics and frequency distributions of the demographic data are presented in tables, plots, graphs, and charts. Unrestricted access to these demographic data will facilitate reliable and evidence-based research findings for sustainable education in developing countries.

[Analysis on sustainable development of marine economy in Jiangsu Province based on marine ecological footprint correction model].

PubMed

Yang, Shan; Wang, Yu-ting

2011-03-01

Based on the theories and methods of ecological footprint, the concept of marine ecological footprint was proposed. According to the characteristics of marine environment in Jiangsu Province, five sub-models of marine ecological footprints, including fishery, transporation, marine engineering construction, marine energy, and tidal flat, were constructed. The equilibrium factors of the five marine types were determined by using improved entropy method, and the marine footprints and capacities in Jiangsu Province from 2000 to 2008 were calculated and analyzed. In 2000-2008, the marine ecology footprint per capita in Jiangsu Province increased nearly seven times, from 36.90 hm2 to 252.94 hm2, and the ecological capacity per capita grew steadily, from 105.01 hm2 to 185.49 hm2. In 2000, the marine environment in the Province was in a state of ecological surplus, and the marine economy was in a weak sustainable development state. Since 2004, the marine ecological environment deteriorated sharply, with ecological deficit up to 109660.5 hm2, and the sustainability of marine economy declined. The high ecological footprint of fishery was the main reason for the ecological deficit. Tidal flat was the important reserve resource for the sustainable development of marine economy in Jiangsu Province.

Examining elementary students' perceptions of engineers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oware, Euridice A.

There has been a national focus on improving K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. The integration of engineering education from kindergarten through high school (K-12) has been identified as key to sustaining the U.S. economy and standard of living. Misconceptions about the nature of engineering may deter children from even considering this profession. Currently, there are few research studies on young children's perceptions of engineers, and such research can be used to support children along STEM pathways. The purpose of this research was to investigate elementary students' perceptions of engineers for children enrolled in a gifted and talented outreach program. Participants included students enrolled in two structural engineering classes: one for 3rd and 4th graders and another for 5th and 6th grade students. Participants represented an age group that is not typically exposed to engineering. This research was framed within a constructivist theoretical framework, and qualitative research methods were utilized to develop a rich understanding of the perspectives of students enrolled in the engineering classes. Data collection included student pre- and post-questionnaires, Draw-an-Engineer tasks, and semi-structured interviews. Data analysis entailed the use of open and axial coding. Trustworthiness of data was determined through triangulation of multiple data sources. Results demonstrated how children describe the work of engineers, objects associated with engineering, tools used or created by engineers, and professional characteristics of engineers. In addition, images of engineers were discussed and influences on students' perceptions of engineers were identified. The findings of this study have implications for the development of formal and informal K-12 curricula and programs that focus on improving students' understanding and engagement in engineering. Implications for researchers interested in studying children's perceptions were also discussed.

Engineering cyanobacteria for direct biofuel production from CO2.

PubMed

Savakis, Philipp; Hellingwerf, Klaas J

2015-06-01

For a sustainable future of our society it is essential to close the global carbon cycle. Oxidised forms of carbon, in particular CO2, can be used to synthesise energy-rich organic molecules. Engineered cyanobacteria have attracted attention as catalysts for the direct conversion of CO2 into reduced fuel compounds. Proof of principle for this approach has been provided for a vast range of commodity chemicals, mostly energy carriers, such as short chain and medium chain alcohols. More recently, research has focused on the photosynthetic production of compounds with higher added value, most notably terpenoids. Below we review the recent developments that have improved the state-of-the-art of this approach and speculate on future developments. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Defining Resilience and Vulnerability Based on Ontology Engineering Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumazawa, T.; Matsui, T.; Endo, A.

2014-12-01

It is necessary to reflect the concepts of resilience and vulnerability into the assessment framework of "Human-Environmental Security", but it is also in difficulty to identify the linkage between both concepts because of the difference of the academic community which has discussed each concept. The authors have been developing the ontology which deals with the sustainability of the social-ecological systems (SESs). Resilience and vulnerability are also the concepts in the target world which this ontology covers. Based on this point, this paper aims at explicating the semantic relationship between the concepts of resilience and vulnerability based on ontology engineering approach. For this purpose, we first examine the definitions of resilience and vulnerability which the existing literatures proposed. Second, we incorporate the definitions in the ontology dealing with sustainability of SESs. Finally, we focus on the "Water-Energy-Food Nexus Index" to assess Human-Environmental Security, and clarify how the concepts of resilience and vulnerability are linked semantically through the concepts included in these index items.

Tissue Equivalents Based on Cell-Seeded Biodegradable Microfluidic Constructs

PubMed Central

Borenstein, Jeffrey T.; Megley, Katie; Wall, Kimberly; Pritchard, Eleanor M.; Truong, David; Kaplan, David L.; Tao, Sarah L.; Herman, Ira M.

2010-01-01

One of the principal challenges in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine is the formation of functional microvascular networks capable of sustaining tissue constructs. Complex tissues and vital organs require a means to support oxygen and nutrient transport during the development of constructs both prior to and after host integration, and current approaches have not demonstrated robust solutions to this challenge. Here, we present a technology platform encompassing the design, construction, cell seeding and functional evaluation of tissue equivalents for wound healing and other clinical applications. These tissue equivalents are comprised of biodegradable microfluidic scaffolds lined with microvascular cells and designed to replicate microenvironmental cues necessary to generate and sustain cell populations to replace dermal and/or epidermal tissues lost due to trauma or disease. Initial results demonstrate that these biodegradable microfluidic devices promote cell adherence and support basic cell functions. These systems represent a promising pathway towards highly integrated three-dimensional engineered tissue constructs for a wide range of clinical applications.

NASA Software Documentation Standard

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

The NASA Software Documentation Standard (hereinafter referred to as "Standard") is designed to support the documentation of all software developed for NASA; its goal is to provide a framework and model for recording the essential information needed throughout the development life cycle and maintenance of a software system. The NASA Software Documentation Standard can be applied to the documentation of all NASA software. The Standard is limited to documentation format and content requirements. It does not mandate specific management, engineering, or assurance standards or techniques. This Standard defines the format and content of documentation for software acquisition, development, and sustaining engineering. Format requirements address where information shall be recorded and content requirements address what information shall be recorded. This Standard provides a framework to allow consistency of documentation across NASA and visibility into the completeness of project documentation. The basic framework consists of four major sections (or volumes). The Management Plan contains all planning and business aspects of a software project, including engineering and assurance planning. The Product Specification contains all technical engineering information, including software requirements and design. The Assurance and Test Procedures contains all technical assurance information, including Test, Quality Assurance (QA), and Verification and Validation (V&V). The Management, Engineering, and Assurance Reports is the library and/or listing of all project reports.

Skylab: Its anguish and triumph - A memoir

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Von Puttkamer, J.

1982-01-01

During its ascent to earth orbit, Skylab, launched May 14, 1973, sustained severe damage due to the premature deployment of its micrometeoroid shield. In this paper, a participating engineer describes how a thermal shield repair concept was developed and appropriate hardware was built and tested within 11 days of the mishap, and how the repair concept was sucessfully implemented in space to rescue Skylab.

Alternative Fuels Data Center: ampCNG Puts Conventional Fuels Out to

Science.gov Websites

; Steve Josephs, co-founder and director of engineering at ampCNG, Chicago, Illinois When ampCNG isn't the process. ampCNG's Cow-Powered Trucks ampCNG, a CNG station developer based in Chicago, Illinois interest in using more sustainable forms of fuel began in 2010, when the company partnered with Fair Oaks

Sustainable water services and interaction with water resources in Europe and in Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barraqué, B.; Formiga Johnsson, R. M.; Britto, A. L.

2007-09-01

The increasing interaction between large cities and nature makes "urban water" an issue: water resources and water services - including public water supply, sewage collection and treatment, and in large cities, storm water control -, which had become separate issues thanks to the process of water transport and treatment technologies, are now increasingly interfering with each other. We cannot take nature for granted anymore, and we need to protect water resources, if only to reduce the long term cost of transporting and treating water. In this paper, we compare the historical development of water industry technologies in European and Brazilian metropolitan areas, in their socio-economic and political context, tracing it through three "ages" of water technology and services which developed under civil engineering, sanitary engineering, and environmental engineering perspectives: the "quantity of water" and civil engineering paradigm was developed on the assumption that water should be drawn from natural environments far from the cities; in the "water quality" and chemical/sanitation engineering paradigm, water treatment was invented and allowed cities to take water from rivers closer to them and treat it, but also to reduce sewer discharge impacts; finally, the environmental engineering paradigm proposes to overcome the supply side perspective, by introducing demand side management, water conservation, water allocation flexibilisation, and an integrated approach to water services, water resources management, and land use policies.

Microalgae as sustainable renewable energy feedstock for biofuel production.

PubMed

Medipally, Srikanth Reddy; Yusoff, Fatimah Md; Banerjee, Sanjoy; Shariff, M

2015-01-01

The world energy crisis and increased greenhouse gas emissions have driven the search for alternative and environmentally friendly renewable energy sources. According to life cycle analysis, microalgae biofuel is identified as one of the major renewable energy sources for sustainable development, with potential to replace the fossil-based fuels. Microalgae biofuel was devoid of the major drawbacks associated with oil crops and lignocelluloses-based biofuels. Algae-based biofuels are technically and economically viable and cost competitive, require no additional lands, require minimal water use, and mitigate atmospheric CO2. However, commercial production of microalgae biodiesel is still not feasible due to the low biomass concentration and costly downstream processes. The viability of microalgae biodiesel production can be achieved by designing advanced photobioreactors, developing low cost technologies for biomass harvesting, drying, and oil extraction. Commercial production can also be accomplished by improving the genetic engineering strategies to control environmental stress conditions and by engineering metabolic pathways for high lipid production. In addition, new emerging technologies such as algal-bacterial interactions for enhancement of microalgae growth and lipid production are also explored. This review focuses mainly on the problems encountered in the commercial production of microalgae biofuels and the possible techniques to overcome these difficulties.

Microalgae as Sustainable Renewable Energy Feedstock for Biofuel Production

PubMed Central

Yusoff, Fatimah Md.; Shariff, M.

2015-01-01

The world energy crisis and increased greenhouse gas emissions have driven the search for alternative and environmentally friendly renewable energy sources. According to life cycle analysis, microalgae biofuel is identified as one of the major renewable energy sources for sustainable development, with potential to replace the fossil-based fuels. Microalgae biofuel was devoid of the major drawbacks associated with oil crops and lignocelluloses-based biofuels. Algae-based biofuels are technically and economically viable and cost competitive, require no additional lands, require minimal water use, and mitigate atmospheric CO2. However, commercial production of microalgae biodiesel is still not feasible due to the low biomass concentration and costly downstream processes. The viability of microalgae biodiesel production can be achieved by designing advanced photobioreactors, developing low cost technologies for biomass harvesting, drying, and oil extraction. Commercial production can also be accomplished by improving the genetic engineering strategies to control environmental stress conditions and by engineering metabolic pathways for high lipid production. In addition, new emerging technologies such as algal-bacterial interactions for enhancement of microalgae growth and lipid production are also explored. This review focuses mainly on the problems encountered in the commercial production of microalgae biofuels and the possible techniques to overcome these difficulties. PMID:25874216

National Alliance for Advanced Biofuels and Bio-Products Final Technical Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Olivares, Jose A.; Baxter, Ivan; Brown, Judith

2014-09-30

The main objective of NAABB was to combine science, technology, and engineering expertise from across the nation to break down critical technical barriers to commercialization of algae-based biofuels. The approach was to address technology development across the entire value chain of algal biofuels production, from selection of strains to cultivation, harvesting, extraction, fuel conversion, and agricultural coproduct production. Sustainable practices and financial feasibility assessments ununderscored the approach and drove the technology development.

Mississippi State University Sustainable Energy Research Center

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Steele, W. Glenn

The Sustainable Energy Research Center (SERC) project at Mississippi State University included all phases of biofuel production from feedstock development, to conversion to liquid transportation fuels, to engine testing of the fuels. The feedstocks work focused on non-food based crops and yielded an increased understanding of many significant Southeastern feedstocks. an emphasis was placed on energy grasses that could supplement the primary feedstock, wood. Two energy grasses, giant miscanthus and switchgrass, were developed that had increased yields per acre. Each of these grasses was patented and licensed to companies for commercialization. The fuels work focused on three different technologies thatmore » each led to a gasoline, diesel, or jet fuel product. The three technologies were microbial oil, pyrolysis oil, and syngas-to liquid-hydrocarbons« less

Laboratory equipment maintenance: a critical bottleneck for strengthening health systems in sub-Saharan Africa?

PubMed

Fonjungo, Peter N; Kebede, Yenew; Messele, Tsehaynesh; Ayana, Gonfa; Tibesso, Gudeta; Abebe, Almaz; Nkengasong, John N; Kenyon, Thomas

2012-02-01

Properly functioning laboratory equipment is a critical component for strengthening health systems in developing countries. The laboratory can be an entry point to improve population health and care of individuals for targeted diseases - prevention, care, and treatment of TB, HIV/AIDS, and malaria, plus maternal and neonatal health - as well as those lacking specific attention and funding. We review the benefits and persistent challenges associated with sustaining laboratory equipment maintenance. We propose equipment management policies as well as a comprehensive equipment maintenance strategy that would involve equipment manufacturers and strengthen local capacity through pre-service training of biomedical engineers. Strong country leadership and commitment are needed to assure development and sustained implementation of policies and strategies for standardization of equipment, and regulation of its procurement, donation, disposal, and replacement.

Shortfall online: The development of an educational computer game for teaching sustainable engineering to Millennial Generation students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gennett, Zachary Andrew

Millennial Generation students bring significant learning and teaching challenges to the classroom, because of their unique learning styles, breadth of interests related to social and environmental issues, and intimate experiences with technology. As a result, there has been an increased willingness at many universities to experiment with pedagogical strategies that depart from a traditional "learning by listening" model, and move toward more innovative methods involving active learning through computer games. In particular, current students typically express a strong interest in sustainability in which economic concerns must be weighed relative to environmental and social responsibilities. A game-based setting could prove very effective for fostering an operational understanding of these tradeoffs, and especially the social dimension which remains largely underdeveloped relative to the economic and environmental aspects. Through an examination of the educational potential of computer games, this study hypothesizes that to acquire the skills necessary to manage and understand the complexities of sustainability, Millennial Generation students must be engaged in active learning exercises that present dynamic problems and foster a high level of social interaction. This has led to the development of an educational computer game, entitled Shortfall, which simulates a business milieu for testing alternative paths regarding the principles of sustainability. This study examines the evolution of Shortfall from an educational board game that teaches the principles of environmentally benign manufacturing, to a completely networked computer game, entitled Shortfall Online that teaches the principles of sustainability. A capital-based theory of sustainability is adopted to more accurately convey the tradeoffs and opportunity costs among economic prosperity, environmental preservation, and societal responsibilities. While the economic and environmental aspects of sustainability have received considerable attention in traditional pedagogical approaches, specific focus is provided for the social dimension of sustainability, as it had remained largely underdeveloped. To measure social sustainability and provide students with an understanding of its significance, a prospective metric utilizing a social capital peer-evaluation survey, unique to Shortfall, is developed.

Tunisia-Japan Symposium: R&D of Energy and Material Sciences for Sustainable Society

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akimoto, Katsuhiro; Suzuki, Yoshikazu; Monirul Islam, Muhammad

2015-04-01

This volume of the Journal of Physics: Conference Series contains papers presented at the Tunisia-Japan Symposium: R&D of Energy and Material Sciences for Sustainable Society (TJS 2014) held at Gammarth, Republic of Tunisia on November 28-30, 2014. The TJS 2014 is based on the network of the Tunisia-Japan Symposium on Science, Society and Technology (TJASSST) which has been regularly organized since 2000. The symposium was focused on the technological developments of energy and materials for the realization of sustainable society. To generate technological breakthrough and innovation, it seems to be effective to discuss with various fields of researchers such as solid-state physicists, chemists, surface scientists, process engineers and so on. In this symposium, there were as many as 109 attendees from a wide variety of research fields. The technical session consisted of 106 contributed presentations including 3 plenary talks and 7 key-note talks. We hope the Conference Series and publications like this volume will contribute to the progress in research and development in the field of energy and material sciences for sustainable society and in its turn contribute to the creation of cultural life and peaceful society.

Engineering America's Future in Space: Systems Engineering Innovations for Sustainable Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dumbacher, Daniel L.; Caruso, Pamela W.; Jones, Carl P.

2008-01-01

This viewgraph presentation reviews systems engineering innovations for Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles. The contents include: 1) NASA's Exploratoin Roadmap; 2) Launch Vehicle Comparisons; 3) Designing the Ares I and Ares V in House; 4) Exploring the Moon; and 5) Systems Engineering Adds Value Throughout the Project Lifecycle.

Integrating International Engineering Organizations For Successful ISS Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blome, Elizabeth; Duggan, Matt; Patten, L.; Pieterek, Hhtrud

2006-01-01

The International Space Station (ISS) is a multinational orbiting space laboratory that is built in cooperation with 16 nations. The design and sustaining engineering expertise is spread worldwide. As the number of Partners with orbiting elements on the ISS grows, the challenge NASA is facing as the ISS integrator is to ensure that engineering expertise and data are accessible in a timely fashion to ensure ongoing operations and mission success. Integrating international engineering teams requires definition and agreement on common processes and responsibilities, joint training and the emergence of a unique engineering team culture. ISS engineers face daunting logistical and political challenges regarding data sharing requirements. To assure systematic information sharing and anomaly resolution of integrated anomalies, the ISS Partners are developing multi-lateral engineering interface procedures. Data sharing and individual responsibility are key aspects of this plan. This paper describes several examples of successful multilateral anomaly resolution. These successes were used to form the framework of the Partner to Partner engineering interface procedures, and this paper describes those currently documented multilateral engineering processes. Furthermore, it addresses the challenges experienced to date, and the forward work expected in establishing a successful working relationship with Partners as their hardware is launched.

Report on the Third Workshop on Sustainable Software for Science: Practice and Experiences (WSSSPE3)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katz, Daniel S.; Choi, Sou-Cheng T.; Niemeyer, Kyle E.; Hetherington, James; Löffler, Frank; Gunter, Dan; Idaszak, Ray; Brandt, Steven R.; Miller, Mark A.; Gesing, Sandra; Jones, Nick D.; Weber, Nic; Marru, Suresh; Allen, Gabrielle; Penzenstadler, Birgit; Venters, Colin C.; Davis, Ethan; Hwang, Lorraine; Todorov, Ilian; Patra, Abani; de Val-Borro, Miguel

2016-02-01

This report records and discusses the Third Workshop on Sustainable Software for Science: Practice and Experiences (WSSSPE3). The report includes a description of the keynote presentation of the workshop, which served as an overview of sustainable scientific software. It also summarizes a set of lightning talks in which speakers highlighted to-the-point lessons and challenges pertaining to sustaining scientific software. The final and main contribution of the report is a summary of the discussions, future steps, and future organization for a set of self-organized working groups on topics including developing pathways to funding scientific software; constructing useful common metrics for crediting software stakeholders; identifying principles for sustainable software engineering design; reaching out to research software organizations around the world; and building communities for software sustainability. For each group, we include a point of contact and a landing page that can be used by those who want to join that group's future activities. The main challenge left by the workshop is to see if the groups will execute these activities that they have scheduled, and how the WSSSPE community can encourage this to happen.

Recirculation: A New Concept to Drive Innovation in Sustainable Product Design for Bio-Based Products.

PubMed

Sherwood, James; Clark, James H; Farmer, Thomas J; Herrero-Davila, Lorenzo; Moity, Laurianne

2016-12-29

Bio-based products are made from renewable materials, offering a promising basis for the production of sustainable chemicals, materials, and more complex articles. However, biomass is not a limitless resource or one without environmental and social impacts. Therefore, while it is important to use biomass and grow a bio-based economy, displacing the unsustainable petroleum basis of energy and chemical production, any resource must be used effectively to reduce waste. Standards have been developed to support the bio-based product market in order to achieve this aim. However, the design of bio-based products has not received the same level of attention. Reported here are the first steps towards the development of a framework of understanding which connects product design to resource efficiency. Research and development scientists and engineers are encouraged to think beyond simple functionality and associate value to the potential of materials in their primary use and beyond.

Intel International Science and Engineering Fair

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA shares information about environmental protection with ISEF participants and visitors and recognizes one student whose work demonstrates a commitment to environmental sustainability and stewardship with the EPA Patrick H. Hurd Sustainability Award.

Novel trends in engineered milk products.

PubMed

Chandrapala, Jayani; Zisu, Bogdan

2016-08-01

Food engineering within the dairy sector is an ever developing field of study purely based on the application of engineering principles and concepts to any aspect of dairy product manufacturing and operations. The last 25 years of science and technology devoted to milk and milk products have led to major advances. The purpose of this paper is to review the history and current status of some engineered milk products and to speculate regarding future trends. Much of the advancement has been directed towards production capacity, mechanisation, automation, hygiene within the processing plant, safety, extensions in shelf life, and new product introductions that bring variety and convenience for the consumer. Significant advancements in product quality have been made, many of these arising from improved knowledge of the functional properties of ingredients and their impact on structure and texture. In addition, further improvements focused on energy efficiency and environmental sustainability have been made and will be needed in the future.

Engineering the architectural diversity of heterogeneous metallic nanocrystals.

PubMed

Yu, Yue; Zhang, Qingbo; Xie, Jianping; Lee, Jim Yang

2013-01-01

Similar to molecular engineering where structural diversity is used to create more property variations for application explorations, the architectural engineering of heterogeneous metallic nanocrystals (HMNCs) can likewise increase the versatility of metallic nanocrystals (NCs). Here we present a synthesis strategy capable of engineering the architectural diversity of HMNCs through rational and independent programming of every architecture-determining element, that is, the shape and size of the component NCs and their spatial arrangement. The strategy is based on the galvanic replacement reaction of a self-sustaining layer formed by underpotential deposition on a polyhedral NC. The selective deposition of satellite NCs on specific site of the central NC is realized by creating a geometry-dependent heterogeneous electron distribution. This site-selective deposition approach is applicable to central NCs in various polyhedral shapes and sizes. The satellite NCs can further develop their own shape and size through crystal growth kinetics control.

Approaches for Sustainable Mitigation of Arsenic Calamity in Bangladesh: Search for Safe Drinking Water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alauddin, M.; Bhattacharjee, M.; Zakaria, A. B.; Rahman, M. M.; Seraji, M. S.

2008-05-01

Arsenic contamination of groundwater in Gangetic plain of Bihar, West Bengal in India and Bengal delta plain Bangladesh is shaping up as the greatest environmental health disaster in the current century. About 450 million combined population in these regions are at risk of developing adverse health effects due to arsenic contamination in groundwater. For an effective and sustainable mitigation, it is essential that we improve our understanding of fundamental processes of arsenic mobilization in sediments, biogeochemistry of arsenic in aquifer sediments and weigh a wide range of options for arsenic safe water for the vast population. In this paper, aspects of arsenic removal technology from groundwater in affected areas, sustainable development of household water filtration systems, deep aquifer water as potential arsenic safe water will be presented. In addition, sustainable development of water purification systems such as pond sand filtration (PSF), river sand filtration (RSF), rain water harvesting (RWH), dug well and their acceptability by the community will be discussed. A recent development of indigenous technology by local masons involves searching safe water through bore hole sediment color. The viability of this option in certain areas of Bangladesh will be discussed. Also, one of the household filtration systems approved by the government and locally known as SONO filter was recognized recently by the National Academy of Engineering -Grainger Challenge Prize for sustainability. Over 30, 000 of this unit were deployed in arsenic affected areas of Bangladesh. The affordability, ease of maintenance, social acceptability and environmental friendliness of all options will be addressed in the presentation.

Molecular Structure of Photosynthetic Microbial Biofuels for Improved Engine Combustion and Emissions Characteristics

PubMed Central

Hellier, Paul; Purton, Saul; Ladommatos, Nicos

2015-01-01

The metabolic engineering of photosynthetic microbes for production of novel hydrocarbons presents an opportunity for development of advanced designer biofuels. These can be significantly more sustainable, throughout the production-to-consumption lifecycle, than the fossil fuels and crop-based biofuels they might replace. Current biofuels, such as bioethanol and fatty acid methyl esters, have been developed primarily as drop-in replacements for existing fossil fuels, based on their physical properties and autoignition characteristics under specific combustion regimes. However, advances in the genetic engineering of microalgae and cyanobacteria, and the application of synthetic biology approaches offer the potential of designer strains capable of producing hydrocarbons and oxygenates with specific molecular structures. Furthermore, these fuel molecules can be designed for higher efficiency of energy release and lower exhaust emissions during combustion. This paper presents a review of potential fuel molecules from photosynthetic microbes and the performance of these possible fuels in modern internal combustion engines, highlighting which modifications to the molecular structure of such fuels may enhance their suitability for specific combustion regimes. PMID:25941673

Molecular structure of photosynthetic microbial biofuels for improved engine combustion and emissions characteristics.

PubMed

Hellier, Paul; Purton, Saul; Ladommatos, Nicos

2015-01-01

The metabolic engineering of photosynthetic microbes for production of novel hydrocarbons presents an opportunity for development of advanced designer biofuels. These can be significantly more sustainable, throughout the production-to-consumption lifecycle, than the fossil fuels and crop-based biofuels they might replace. Current biofuels, such as bioethanol and fatty acid methyl esters, have been developed primarily as drop-in replacements for existing fossil fuels, based on their physical properties and autoignition characteristics under specific combustion regimes. However, advances in the genetic engineering of microalgae and cyanobacteria, and the application of synthetic biology approaches offer the potential of designer strains capable of producing hydrocarbons and oxygenates with specific molecular structures. Furthermore, these fuel molecules can be designed for higher efficiency of energy release and lower exhaust emissions during combustion. This paper presents a review of potential fuel molecules from photosynthetic microbes and the performance of these possible fuels in modern internal combustion engines, highlighting which modifications to the molecular structure of such fuels may enhance their suitability for specific combustion regimes.

Co-Optimization of Fuels and Engines

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Farrell, John

2016-04-11

The Co-Optimization of Fuels and Engines (Co-Optima) initiative is a new DOE initiative focused on accelerating the introduction of affordable, scalable, and sustainable biofuels and high-efficiency, low-emission vehicle engines. The simultaneous fuels and vehicles research and development (R&D) are designed to deliver maximum energy savings, emissions reduction, and on-road vehicle performance. The initiative's integrated approach combines the previously independent areas of biofuels and combustion R&D, bringing together two DOE Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy research offices, ten national laboratories, and numerous industry and academic partners to simultaneously tackle fuel and engine research and development (R&D) to maximize energymore » savings and on-road vehicle performance while dramatically reducing transportation-related petroleum consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This multi-year project will provide industry with the scientific underpinnings required to move new biofuels and advanced engine systems to market faster while identifying and addressing barriers to their commercialization. This project's ambitious, first-of-its-kind approach simultaneously tackles fuel and engine innovation to co-optimize performance of both elements and provide dramatic and rapid cuts in fuel use and emissions. This presentation provides an overview of the initiative and reviews recent progress focused on both advanced spark-ignition and compression-ignition approaches.« less

Parametric diagnosis of the adaptive gas path in the automatic control system of the aircraft engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuznetsova, T. A.

2017-01-01

The paper dwells on the adaptive multimode mathematical model of the gas-turbine aircraft engine (GTE) embedded in the automatic control system (ACS). The mathematical model is based on the throttle performances, and is characterized by high accuracy of engine parameters identification in stationary and dynamic modes. The proposed on-board engine model is the state space linearized low-level simulation. The engine health is identified by the influence of the coefficient matrix. The influence coefficient is determined by the GTE high-level mathematical model based on measurements of gas-dynamic parameters. In the automatic control algorithm, the sum of squares of the deviation between the parameters of the mathematical model and real GTE is minimized. The proposed mathematical model is effectively used for gas path defects detecting in on-line GTE health monitoring. The accuracy of the on-board mathematical model embedded in ACS determines the quality of adaptive control and reliability of the engine. To improve the accuracy of identification solutions and sustainability provision, the numerical method of Monte Carlo was used. The parametric diagnostic algorithm based on the LPτ - sequence was developed and tested. Analysis of the results suggests that the application of the developed algorithms allows achieving higher identification accuracy and reliability than similar models used in practice.

Investigation of Deposit Formation Mechanisms for Engine In-cylinder Combustion and Exhaust Systems Using Quantitative Analysis and Sustainability Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Z.; Meng, Q.; Mohamadian, H. P.; Wang, J. T.; Chen, L.; Zhu, L.

2007-06-01

The formation of SI engine combustion deposits is a complex phenomenon which depends on various factors of fuel, oil, additives, and engine. The goal of this study is to examine the effects of operating conditions, gasoline, lubricating oil, and additives on deposit formation. Both an experimental investigation and theoretical analysis are conducted on a single cylinder engine. As a result, the impact of deposits on engine performance and exhaust emissions (HC, NO x ) has been indicated. Using samples from a cylinder head and exhaust pipe as well as switching gases via the dual-gas method (N2, O2), the deposit formation mechanism is thoroughly investigated via the thermogravity analysis approach, where the roles of organic, inorganic, and volatile components of fuel, additives, and oil on deposit formation are identified from thermogravity curves. Sustainable feedback control design is then proposed for potential emission control and performance optimization

A Guide to Resolving Disputes Over Contractor Delay Entitlements.

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-12-01

E. Sanvido Associate Professor of Architectural Engineering Chin Y. Ku Professor f Civil Engineering Head of th Department of Accesion For Civil an...specifically states otherwise, the contractor is generally entitled to recover losses sustained by delays caused by the owner. 18 In the 1961 appeal, In Re...of time for causes beyond the contractor’s control foreclosed the contractor from recovering damage sustained by him because of the City’s failure to

X-43C Plans and Status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moses, Paul L.

2003-01-01

X-43C Project is a hypersonic flight demonstration being executed as a collaboration between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the United States Air Force (USAF). X-43C will expand the hypersonic flight envelope for air breathing engines beyond the history making efforts of the Hyper-X Program (X-43A). X-43C will demonstrate sustained accelerating flight during three flight tests of expendable X-43C Demonstrator Vehicles (DVs). The approximately 16-foot long X-43C DV will be boosted to the starting test conditions, separate from the booster, and accelerate from Mach 5 to Mach 7 under its own power and autonomous control. The DVs are to be powered by a liquid hydrocarbon-fueled, fuel-cooled, dual-mode, airframe integrated scramjet engine system developed under the USAF HyTech Program. The Project is managed by NASA Langley Research Center as part of NASA s Next Generation Launch Technology Program. Flight tests will be conducted by NASA Dryden Flight Research Center over water off the coast of California in the Pacific Test Range. The NASA/USAF/industry project is a natural extension of the Hyper-X Program (X-43A), which will demonstrate short duration ( 10 seconds) gaseous hydrogen-fueled scramjet powered flight at Mach 7 and Mach 10 using a heavyweight, largely heat sink construction, experimental engine. The X-43C Project will demonstrate sustained accelerating flight from Mach 5 to Mach 7 ( 4 minutes) using a flight-weight, fuel-cooled, scramjet engine powered by much denser liquid hydrocarbon fuel. The X-43C DV design flows from integrating USAF HyTech developed engine technologies with a NASA Air Breathing Launch Vehicle accelerator-class configuration and Hyper-X heritage vehicle systems designs. This paper describes the X-43C Project and provides background for NASA s current hypersonic flight demonstration efforts.

Sustainability of Open-Source Software Organizations as Underpinning for Sustainable Interoperability on Large Scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fulker, D. W.; Gallagher, J. H. R.

2015-12-01

OPeNDAP's Hyrax data server is an open-source framework fostering interoperability via easily-deployed Web services. Compatible with solutions listed in the (PA001) session description—federation, rigid standards and brokering/mediation—the framework can support tight or loose coupling, even with dependence on community-contributed software. Hyrax is a Web-services framework with a middleware-like design and a handler-style architecture that together reduce the interoperability challenge (for N datatypes and M user contexts) to an O(N+M) problem, similar to brokering. Combined with an open-source ethos, this reduction makes Hyrax a community tool for gaining interoperability. E.g., in its response to the Big Earth Data Initiative (BEDI), NASA references OPeNDAP-based interoperability. Assuming its suitability, the question becomes: how sustainable is OPeNDAP, a small not-for-profit that produces open-source software, i.e., has no software-sales? In other words, if geoscience interoperability depends on OPeNDAP and similar organizations, are those entities in turn sustainable? Jim Collins (in Good to Great) highlights three questions that successful companies can answer (paraphrased here): What is your passion? Where is your world-class excellence? What drives your economic engine? We attempt to shed light on OPeNDAP sustainability by examining these. Passion: OPeNDAP has a focused passion for improving the effectiveness of scientific data sharing and use, as deeply-cooperative community endeavors. Excellence: OPeNDAP has few peers in remote, scientific data access. Skills include computer science with experience in data science, (operational, secure) Web services, and software design (for servers and clients, where the latter vary from Web pages to standalone apps and end-user programs). Economic Engine: OPeNDAP is an engineering services organization more than a product company, despite software being key to OPeNDAP's reputation. In essence, provision of engineering expertise, via contracts and grants, is the economic engine. Hence sustainability, as needed to address global grand challenges in geoscience, depends on agencies' and others' abilities and willingness to offer grants and let contracts for continually upgrading open-source software from OPeNDAP and others.

The biomedical engineer as a driver for Health Technology innovation.

PubMed

Colas Fustero, Javier; Guillen Arredondo, Alejandra

2010-01-01

Health Technology has played a mayor role on most of the fundamental advances in medicine, in the last 30 years. Right now, beginning the XXI Century, it is well accepted that the most important revolution expected in Health Care is the empowerment of the individuals on their own health management. Innovation in health care technologies will continue being paramount, not only in the advances of medicine and in the self health management of patients but also in allowing the sustainability of the public health care becomes more important, the role of the biomedical engineer will turn to be more crucial for the society. The paper targets the development of new curricula for the Biomedical Engineers, The needs of evolving on his different fields in which the contribution of the Biomedical Engineer is becoming fundamental to drive the innovation that Health Care Technology Industry must provide to continue improving human health through cross-disciplinary activities that integrate the engineering sciences with the biomedical sciences and clinical practice.

Ceramics for engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kiser, James D.; Levine, Stanley R.; Dicarlo, James A.

1987-01-01

Structural ceramics were under nearly continuous development for various heat engine applications since the early 1970s. These efforts were sustained by the properties that ceramics offer in the areas of high-temperature strength, environmental resistance, and low density and the large benefits in system efficiency and performance that can result. The promise of ceramics was not realized because their brittle nature results in high sensitivity to microscopic flaws and catastrophic fracture behavior. This translated into low reliability for ceramic components and thus limited their application in engines. For structural ceramics to successfully make inroads into the terrestrial heat engine market requires further advances in low cost, net shape fabrication of high reliability components, and improvements in properties such as toughness, and strength. These advances will lead to very limited use of ceramics in noncritical applications in aerospace engines. For critical aerospace applications, an additional requirement is that the components display markedly improved toughness and noncatastrophic or graceful fracture. Thus the major emphasis is on fiber-reinforced ceramics.

Transporter engineering in biomass utilization by yeast.

PubMed

Hara, Kiyotaka Y; Kobayashi, Jyumpei; Yamada, Ryosuke; Sasaki, Daisuke; Kuriya, Yuki; Hirono-Hara, Yoko; Ishii, Jun; Araki, Michihiro; Kondo, Akihiko

2017-11-01

Biomass resources are attractive carbon sources for bioproduction because of their sustainability. Many studies have been performed using biomass resources to produce sugars as carbon sources for cell factories. Expression of biomass hydrolyzing enzymes in cell factories is an important approach for constructing biomass-utilizing bioprocesses because external addition of these enzymes is expensive. In particular, yeasts have been extensively engineered to be cell factories that directly utilize biomass because of their manageable responses to many genetic engineering tools, such as gene expression, deletion and editing. Biomass utilizing bioprocesses have also been developed using these genetic engineering tools to construct metabolic pathways. However, sugar input and product output from these cells are critical factors for improving bioproduction along with biomass utilization and metabolic pathways. Transporters are key components for efficient input and output activities. In this review, we focus on transporter engineering in yeast to enhance bioproduction from biomass resources. © FEMS 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Recent advances in the metabolic engineering of lignan biosynthesis pathways for the production of transgenic plant-based foods and supplements.

PubMed

Satake, Honoo; Ono, Eiichiro; Murata, Jun

2013-12-04

Plant physiological, epidemiological, and food science studies have shed light on lignans as healthy diets for the reduction of the risk of lifestyle-related noncommunicable diseases and, thus, the demand for lignans has been rapidly increasing. However, the low efficiency and instability of lignan production via extraction from plant resources remain to be resolved, indicating the requirement for the development of new procedures for lignan production. The metabolic engineering of lignan-biosynthesizing plants is expected to be most promising for efficient, sustainable, and stable lignan production. This is supported by the recent verification of biosynthetic pathways of major dietary lignans and the exploration of lignan production via metabolic engineering using transiently gene-transfected or transgenic plants. The aim of this review is to present an overview of the biosynthetic pathways, biological activities, and metabolic engineering of lignans and also perspectives in metabolic engineering-based lignan production using transgenic plants for practical application.

14 CFR 33.77 - Foreign object ingestion-ice.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 33.77 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: AIRCRAFT ENGINES Design and Construction; Turbine Aircraft Engines § 33.77 Foreign... this section may not— (1) Cause a sustained power or thrust loss; or (2) Require the engine to be...

14 CFR 33.77 - Foreign object ingestion-ice.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 33.77 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS STANDARDS: AIRCRAFT ENGINES Design and Construction; Turbine Aircraft Engines § 33.77 Foreign... this section may not— (1) Cause a sustained power or thrust loss; or (2) Require the engine to be...

Rachel Romero | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Rachel Romero Photo of Rachel Romero Rachel Romero Engineer/Project Leader - Energy Solutions Rachel.Romero@nrel.gov | 303-275-3908 Rachel Romero is an energy engineer at the National Renewable Energy the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI). She received her Professional Engineer license

Strategies for enhancing microbial tolerance to inhibitors for biofuel production: A review.

PubMed

Wang, Shizeng; Sun, Xinxiao; Yuan, Qipeng

2018-06-01

Using lignocellulosic biomass for the production of renewable biofuel provides a sustainable and promising solution to the crisis of energy and environment. However, the processes of biomass pretreatment and biofuel fermentation bring a variety of inhibitors to microbial strains. These inhibitors repress microbial growth, decrease biofuel yields and increase fermentation costs. The production of biofuels from renewable lignocellulosic biomass relies on the development of tolerant and robust microbial strains. In recent years, the advancement of tolerance engineering and evolutionary engineering provides powerful platform for obtaining host strains with desired tolerance for further metabolic engineering of biofuel pathways. In this review, we summarized the inhibitors derived from biomass pretreatment and biofuel fermentation, the mechanisms of inhibitor toxicity, and the strategies for enhancing microbial tolerance. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY AND SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS INNOVATION: A STUDENT DESIGN PROJECT ON MOBILITY IN THE POST-AUTOMOBILE ERA

EPA Science Inventory

The emergent field of industrial ecology (IE) has been described as the "science and engineering of sustainability" and the "technological core of sustainability." Some proponents of IE draw on metaphors from systems ecology and suggest that a design revolution is necessary t...

Embedding Sustainability in Education through Experiential Learning Using Innovation and Entrepreneurship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belkhir, Lotfi

2015-01-01

In this pedagogical study, we introduce the design and findings of a pilot study on the effectiveness of a new Engineering graduate course, "Total Sustainability Management", in teaching and learning sustainability, both at the cognitive and the management level. The design of an "arms-length" anonymized pre- and post-course…

Building Sustainable Capacity with University Partnerships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, J. M.

2013-05-01

Universities can play an important role in building scientific and technical capacity by providing educational opportunities for local and regional populations in developing countries. These opportunities may be short term or long term through for example faculty exchanges, student exchanges, and collaborative teaching and research activities. As the demand for talented graduates expands in developing countries, local universities face competition for students, lecturers, and professors from the same industries and communities they serve. This competition is in many ways counterproductive to building the sustainable human resource that is needed to support local development, management, and governance. Such competition is particularly evident for top science and engineering students in energy rich countries. University partnerships, e.g., in particular those between universities in OECD countries and universities in developing countries, have an important role to play in bridging the gap between today's lack of capacity and a sustainable human resource for the future. Such university partnerships, however, face many challenges, some of which can be traced to organizational and cultural differences In this presentation, I will discuss how university partnerships are formed, some of the benefits to partners, and some pitfalls to avoid during implementation of university partnerships. The examples are taken from Stanford partnerships that involve geoscience and engineering, and will include representative goals and content of the example partnerships. These partnerships I'll describe are actually trilateral, with partners from two or more universities and a private company or government agency. I conclude the presentation with a brief discussion on multiculturalism, perhaps the most important consideration when planning a partnership between diverse organizations. Organizers of partnerships must recognize the fact that multiculturalism and diversity are assets that will foster prosperity and a better quality of life in developing countries for the communities served as well as the partners. Successful partnerships capture the potential multiculturalism offers to encourage new ways of learning, creativity, and innovation.

Challenges of Enterprise Wide AM for Air Force Sustainment

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

December 2016 Naguy is chief of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Product Support Engineering Division at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in...today and into the future. To truly capitalize on the full potential of AM, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) in close collabora...approach for material standards and quality include un- derstanding powder characteristics, developing an enterprise material characterization

Value engineering awareness study for sustainable construction in Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

U, Fathoni; M, Zakaria C.; O, Rohayu C.

2013-06-01

Construction process has often been described as a highly complex process because of the number of disciplines involved during the conceptual, design and construction stage. With the emergence of latest technology and concern for environment, increasing attention in construction industry is given on sustainability. Balance in quality and sustainability has become a major challenge to the construction industry. This paper presents a study that has conducted to determine the acceptance and application of Value Engineering (VE) and Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) in Malaysia construction industry. A set of questionnaire have distributed to different practitioners in construction industry and the result has reflect the fact that the application of VE and LCCA are still very low.

Nanoporous Block Polymer Thin Films Functionalized with Bio-Inspired Ligands for the Efficient Capture of Heavy Metal Ions from Water.

PubMed

Weidman, Jacob L; Mulvenna, Ryan A; Boudouris, Bryan W; Phillip, William A

2017-06-07

Heavy metal contamination of water supplies poses a serious threat to public health, prompting the development of novel and sustainable treatment technologies. One promising approach is to molecularly engineer the chemical affinity of a material for the targeted removal of specific molecules from solution. In this work, nanoporous polymer thin films generated from tailor-made block polymers were functionalized with the bio-inspired moieties glutathione and cysteamine for the removal of heavy metal ions, including lead and cadmium, from aqueous solutions. In a single equilibrium stage, the films achieved removal rates of the ions in excess of 95%, which was consistent with predictions based on the engineered material properties. In a flow-through configuration, the thin films achieved an even greater removal rate of the metal ions. Furthermore, in mixed ion solutions the capacity of the thin films, and corresponding removal rates, did not demonstrate any reduction due to competitive adsorption effects. After such experiments the material was repeatedly regenerated quickly with no observed loss in capacity. Thus, these membranes provide a sustainable platform for the efficient purification of lead- and cadmium-contaminated water sources to safe levels. Moreover, their straightforward chemical modifications suggest that they could be engineered to treat sources containing other recalcitrant environmental contaminants as well.

Oil-Free Turbomachinery Team Passed Milestone on Path to the First Oil-Free Turbine Aircraft Engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bream, Bruce L.

2002-01-01

The Oil-Free Turbine Engine Technology Project team successfully demonstrated a foil-air bearing designed for the core rotor shaft of a turbine engine. The bearings were subjected to test conditions representative of the engine core environment through a combination of high speeds, sustained loads, and elevated temperatures. The operational test envelope was defined during conceptual design studies completed earlier this year by bearing manufacturer Mohawk Innovative Technologies and the turbine engine company Williams International. The prototype journal foil-air bearings were tested at the NASA Glenn Research Center. Glenn is working with Williams and Mohawk to create a revolution in turbomachinery by developing the world's first Oil-Free turbine aircraft engine. NASA's General Aviation Propulsion project and Williams International recently developed the FJX-2 turbofan engine that is being commercialized as the EJ-22. This core bearing milestone is a first step toward a future version of the EJ-22 that will take advantage of recent advances in foil-air bearings by eliminating the need for oil lubrication systems and rolling element bearings. Oil-Free technology can reduce engine weight by 15 percent and let engines operate at very high speeds, yielding power density improvements of 20 percent, and reducing engine maintenance costs. In addition, with NASA coating technology, engines can operate at temperatures up to 1200 F. Although the project is still a couple of years from a full engine test of the bearings, this milestone shows that the bearing design exceeds the expected environment, thus providing confidence that an Oil-Free turbine aircraft engine will be attained. The Oil-Free Turbomachinery Project is supported through the Aeropropulsion Base Research Program.

Engineers: Going Global

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feest, Tim

2008-01-01

This article demonstrates the need for engineering courses in UK higher education to give a higher priority to global and sustainability issues. In support of this case, the author summarizes and assesses evidence from a recently-concluded study by the Institute of Education, University of London, and Engineers Against Poverty, a specialist…

Center for Advanced Biofuel Systems (CABS) Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kutchan, Toni M.

2015-12-02

One of the great challenges facing current and future generations is how to meet growing energy demands in an environmentally sustainable manner. Renewable energy sources, including wind, geothermal, solar, hydroelectric, and biofuel energy systems, are rapidly being developed as sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels. Biofuels are particularly attractive to the U.S., given its vast agricultural resources. The first generation of biofuel systems was based on fermentation of sugars to produce ethanol, typically from food crops. Subsequent generations of biofuel systems, including those included in the CABS project, will build upon the experiences learned from those early research results and willmore » have improved production efficiencies, reduced environmental impacts and decreased reliance on food crops. Thermodynamic models predict that the next generations of biofuel systems will yield three- to five-fold more recoverable energy products. To address the technological challenges necessary to develop enhanced biofuel systems, greater understanding of the non-equilibrium processes involved in solar energy conversion and the channeling of reduced carbon into biofuel products must be developed. The objective of the proposed Center for Advanced Biofuel Systems (CABS) was to increase the thermodynamic and kinetic efficiency of select plant- and algal-based fuel production systems using rational metabolic engineering approaches grounded in modern systems biology. The overall strategy was to increase the efficiency of solar energy conversion into oils and other specialty biofuel components by channeling metabolic flux toward products using advanced catalysts and sensible design:1) employing novel protein catalysts that increase the thermodynamic and kinetic efficiencies of photosynthesis and oil biosynthesis; 2) engineering metabolic networks to enhance acetyl-CoA production and its channeling towards lipid synthesis; and 3) engineering new metabolic networks for the production of hydrocarbons required to meet commercial fuel standards.« less

Determination and Applications of Environmental Costs at Different Sized Airports: Aircraft Noise and Engine Emissions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lu, Cherie; Lierens, Abigail

2003-01-01

With the increasing trend of charging for externalities and the aim of encouraging the sustainable development of the air transport industry, there is a need to evaluate the social costs of these undesirable side effects, mainly aircraft noise and engine emissions, for different airports. The aircraft noise and engine emissions social costs are calculated in monetary terms for five different airports, ranging from hub airports to small regional airports. The number of residences within different levels of airport noise contours and the aircraft noise classifications are the main determinants for accessing aircraft noise social costs. Whist, based on the damages of different engine pollutants on the human health, vegetation, materials, aquatic ecosystem and climate, the aircraft engine emissions social costs vary from engine types to aircraft categories. The results indicate that the relationship appears to be curvilinear between environmental costs and the traffic volume of an airport. The results and methodology of environmental cost calculation could input for to the proposed European wide harmonized noise charges as well as the social cost benefit analysis of airports.

Engineering America's Future in Space: Systems Engineering Innovations for Sustainable Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dumbacher, Daniel L.; Jones, Carl P.

2008-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) delivers space transportation solutions for America's complex missions, ranging from scientific payloads that expand knowledge, such as the Hubble Space Telescope, to astronauts and lunar rovers destined for voyages to the Moon. Currently, the venerable Space Shuttle, which has been in service since 1981, provides U.S. capability for both crew and cargo to low-Earth orbit to construct the International Space Station, before the Shuttle is retired in 2010, as outlined in the 2006 NASA Strategic Plan. I In the next decade, NASA will replace this system with a duo of launch vehicles: the Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle/Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle and the Ares V Cargo Launch Vehicle/Altair Lunar Lander. The goals for this new system include increased safety and reliability, coupled with lower operations costs that promote sustainable space exploration over a multi-decade schedule. This paper will provide details of the in-house systems engineering and vehicle integration work now being performed for the Ares I and planned for the Ares V. It will give an overview of the Ares I system-level test activities, such as the ground vibration testing that will be conducted in the Marshall Center's Dynamic Test Stand to verify the integrated vehicle stack's structural integrity against predictions made by modern modeling and simulation analysis. It also will give information about the work in progress for the Ares I-X developmental test flight planned in 2009 to provide key data before the Ares I Critical Design Review. Activities such as these will help prove and refine mission concepts of operation, while supporting the spectrum of design and development tasks being performed by Marshall's Engineering Directorate, ranging from launch vehicles and lunar rovers to scientific spacecraft and associated experiments. Ultimately, the work performed will lead to the fielding of a robust space transportation solution that will carry international explorers and essential payloads for sustainable scientific discovery beyond planet Earth.

Constitutive Models for Design of Sustainable Concrete Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brozovsky, J.; Cajka, R.; Koktan, J.

2018-04-01

The paper deals with numerical models of reinforced concrete which are expected to be useful to enhance design of sustainable reinforced concrete structures. That is, the models which can deliver higher precision of results than the linear elastic models but which are still feasible for engineering practice. Such models can be based on an elastic-plastic material. The paper discusses properties of such models. A material model based of the Chen criteria and the Ohtani hardening model for concrete was selected for further development. There is also given a comparison of behaviour of such model with behaviour of a more complex smeared crack model which is based on principles of fracture mechanics.

Biosynthesis and metabolic engineering of palmitoleate production, an important contributor to human health and sustainable industry.

PubMed

Wu, Yongmei; Li, Runzhi; Hildebrand, David F

2012-10-01

Palmitoleate (cis-Δ9-16:1) shows numerous health benefits such as increased cell membrane fluidity, reduced inflammation, protection of the cardiovascular system, and inhibition of oncogenesis. Plant oils containing this unusual fatty acid can also be sustainable feedstocks for producing industrially important and high-demand 1-octene. Vegetable oils rich in palmitoleate are the ideal candidates for biodiesel production. Several wild plants are known that can synthesize high levels of palmitoleate in seeds. However, low yields and poor agronomic characteristics of these plants limit their commercialization. Metabolic engineering has been developed to create oilseed crops that accumulate high levels of palmitoleate or other unusual fatty acids, and significant advances have been made recently in this field, particularly using the model plant Arabidopsis as the host. The engineered targets for enhancing palmitoleate synthesis include overexpression of Δ9 desaturase from mammals, yeast, fungi, and plants, down-regulating KASII, coexpression of an ACP-Δ9 desaturase in plastids and CoA-Δ9 desaturase in endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and optimizing the metabolic flux into triacylglycerols (TAGs). This review will mainly describe the recent progress towards producing palmitoleate in transgenic plants by metabolic engineering along with our current understanding of palmitoleate biosynthesis and its regulation, as well as highlighting the bottlenecks that require additional investigation by combining lipidomics, transgenics and other "-omics" tools. A brief review of reported health benefits and non-food uses of palmitoleate will also be covered. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Natural and engineered polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthase: key enzyme in biopolyester production.

PubMed

Zou, Huibin; Shi, Mengxun; Zhang, Tongtong; Li, Lei; Li, Liangzhi; Xian, Mo

2017-10-01

With the finite supply of petroleum and increasing concern with environmental issues associated with their harvest and processing, the development of more eco-friendly, sustainable alternative biopolymers that can effectively fill the role of petro-polymers has become a major focus. Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) can be naturally produced by many species of bacteria and the PHA synthase is believed to be key enzyme in this natural pathway. Natural PHA synthases are diverse and can affect the properties of the produced PHAs, such as monomer composition, molecular weights, and material properties. Moreover, recent studies have led to major advances in the searching of PHA synthases that display specific properties, as well as engineering efforts that offer more efficient PHA synthases, increased PHA compound production, or even novel biopolyesters which cannot be naturally produced. In this article, we review the updated information of natural PHA synthases and their engineering strategies for improved performance in polyester production. We also speculate future trends on the development of robust PHA synthases and their application in biopolyester production.

Metabolic engineering of Corynebacterium glutamicum for fermentative production of chemicals in biorefinery.

PubMed

Baritugo, Kei-Anne; Kim, Hee Taek; David, Yokimiko; Choi, Jong-Il; Hong, Soon Ho; Jeong, Ki Jun; Choi, Jong Hyun; Joo, Jeong Chan; Park, Si Jae

2018-05-01

Bio-based production of industrially important chemicals provides an eco-friendly alternative to current petrochemical-based processes. Because of the limited supply of fossil fuel reserves, various technologies utilizing microbial host strains for the sustainable production of platform chemicals from renewable biomass have been developed. Corynebacterium glutamicum is a non-pathogenic industrial microbial species traditionally used for L-glutamate and L-lysine production. It is a promising species for industrial production of bio-based chemicals because of its flexible metabolism that allows the utilization of a broad spectrum of carbon sources and the production of various amino acids. Classical breeding, systems, synthetic biology, and metabolic engineering approaches have been used to improve its applications, ranging from traditional amino-acid production to modern biorefinery systems for production of value-added platform chemicals. This review describes recent advances in the development of genetic engineering tools and techniques for the establishment and optimization of metabolic pathways for bio-based production of major C2-C6 platform chemicals using recombinant C. glutamicum.

Affordable Development and Demonstration of a Small NTR Engine and Stage: How Small is Big Enough?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Borowski, S. K.; Sefcik, R. J.; Fittje, J. E.; McCurdy, D. R.; Qualls, A. L.; Schnitzler, B. G.; Werner, J.; Weitzberg, A.; Joyner, C. R.

2015-01-01

In FY11, NASA formulated a plan for Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) development that included Foundational Technology Development followed by system-level Technology Demonstrations The ongoing NTP project, funded by NASAs Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) program, is focused on Foundational Technology Development and includes 5 key task activities:(1) Fuel element fabrication and non-nuclear validation testing of heritage fuel options;(2) Engine conceptual design;(3) Mission analysis and engine requirements definition;(4) Identification of affordable options for ground testing; and(5) Formulation of an affordable and sustainable NTP development program Performance parameters for Point of Departure designs for a small criticality-limited and full size 25 klbf-class engine were developed during FYs 13-14 using heritage fuel element designs for both RoverNERVA Graphite Composite (GC) and Ceramic Metal (Cermet) fuel forms To focus the fuel development effort and maximize use of its resources, the AES program decided, in FY14, that a leader-follower down selection between GC and cermet fuel was required An Independent Review Panel (IRP) was convened by NASA and tasked with reviewing the available fuel data and making a recommendation to NASA. In February 2015, the IRP recommended and the AES program endorsed GC as the leader fuel In FY14, a preliminary development schedule DDTE plan was produced by GRC, DOE industry for the AES program. Assumptions, considerations and key task activities are presented here Two small (7.5 and 16.5 klbf) engine sizes were considered for ground and flight technology demonstration within a 10-year timeframe; their ability to support future human exploration missions was also examined and a recommendation on a preferred size is provided.

Modeling and Advanced Control for Sustainable Process Systems

EPA Science Inventory

This book chapter introduces a novel process systems engineering framework that integrates process control with sustainability assessment tools for the simultaneous evaluation and optimization of process operations. The implemented control strategy consists of a biologically-insp...

Feeling lucky? Using search engines to assess perceptions of urban sustainability

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Keirstead, James

2009-02-15

The sustainability of urban environments is an important issue at both local and international scales. Indicators are frequently used by decision-makers seeking to improve urban performance but these metrics can be dependent on sparse quantitative data. This paper explores the potential of an alternative approach, using an internet search engine to quickly gather qualitative data on the key attributes of cities. The method is applied to 21 world cities and the results indicate that, while the technique does shed light on direct and indirect aspects of sustainability, the validity of derived metrics as objective indicators of long-term sustainability is questionable.more » However the method's ability to provide subjective short-term assessments is more promising and it could therefore play an important role in participatory policy exercises such as public consultations. A number of promising technical improvements to the method's performance are also highlighted.« less

Procurement of Architectural and Engineering Services for Sustainable Buildings: A Guide for Federal Project Managers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

2004-06-01

This guide was prepared to be a resource for federal construction project managers and others who want to integrate the principles of sustainable design into the procurement of professional building design and consulting services. To economize on energy costs and improve the safety, comfort, and health of building occupants, building design teams can incorporate daylighting, energy efficiency, renewable energy, and passive solar design into all projects in which these elements are technically and economically feasible. The information presented here will help project leaders begin the process and manage the inclusion of sustainable design in the procurement process. The section onmore » establishing selection criteria contains key elements to consider before selecting an architectural and engineering (A/E) firm. The section on preparing the statement of work discusses the broad spectrum of sustainable design services that an A/E firm can provide. Several helpful checklists are included.« less

Integrating long-term science projects into K-12 curriculum: Fostering teacher-student engagement in urban environmental research through an NSF UCLA GK-12 program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hogue, T. S.; Moldwin, M.; Nonacs, P.; Daniel, J.; Shope, R.

2009-12-01

A National Science Foundation Graduate Teaching Fellows in K- 12 Education program at UCLA (SEE-LA; http://measure.igpp.ucla.edu/GK12-SEE-LA) has just completed its first year (of a five-year program) and has greatly expanded UCLA’s science and engineering partnerships with LA Unified and Culver City Unified School Districts. The SEE-LA program partners UCLA faculty, graduate students (fellows), middle and high school science teachers and their students into a program of science and engineering exploration that brings the environment of Los Angeles into the classroom. UCLA graduate fellows serve as scientists-in-residence at the four partner schools to integrate inquiry-based science and engineering lessons, facilitate advancements in science content teaching, and ultimately, to improve their own science communication skills. As part of their fellowship, graduate students are required to develop three inquiry-based lessons in their partner classroom, including a lesson focused on their dissertation research, a lesson focused on the environmental/watershed theme of the project, and a lesson that involves longer-term data collection and synthesis with the grade 6-12 teachers and students. The developed long-term projects ideally involve continued observations and analysis through the five-year project and beyond. During the first year of the project, the ten SEE-LA fellows developed a range of long-term research projects, from seasonal invertebrate observations in an urban stream system, to home energy consumption surveys, to a school bioblitz (quantification of campus animals and insects). Examples of lesson development and integration in the classroom setting will be highlighted as well as tools required for sustainability of the projects. University and local pre-college school partnerships provide an excellent opportunity to support the development of graduate student communication skills while also contributing significantly to the integration of sustainable research projects into K-12 curriculum.

Teaching Sustainable Energy and Power Electronics to Engineering Students in a Laboratory Environment Using Industry-Standard Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ochs, David S.; Miller, Ruth Douglas

2015-01-01

Power electronics and renewable energy are two important topics for today's power engineering students. In many cases, the two topics are inextricably intertwined. As the renewable energy sector grows, the need for engineers qualified to design such systems grows as well. In order to train such engineers, new courses are needed that highlight the…

Engineering Skills Education: The Bachelor of Engineering Programme of the "Vrije Universiteit Brussel" as a Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Biesen, Leo Pierre; Rahier, Hubert; Vanherzeele, Herman; Willem, Rudolph; Hubin, Annick; Veretennicoff, Irina; Deblauwe, Nico; Ponet, Mireille

2009-01-01

The Bologna process has triggered an important change in the course outline towards a sustainable, transparent and quality-driven European education system. In Belgium, engineering education had to be completely revised. The transformation of the former system, leading to the degree of academic engineer after five years of study, into the typical…

Evolution and structure of sustainability science.

PubMed

Bettencourt, Luís M A; Kaur, Jasleen

2011-12-06

The concepts of sustainable development have experienced extraordinary success since their advent in the 1980s. They are now an integral part of the agenda of governments and corporations, and their goals have become central to the mission of research laboratories and universities worldwide. However, it remains unclear how far the field has progressed as a scientific discipline, especially given its ambitious agenda of integrating theory, applied science, and policy, making it relevant for development globally and generating a new interdisciplinary synthesis across fields. To address these questions, we assembled a corpus of scholarly publications in the field and analyzed its temporal evolution, geographic distribution, disciplinary composition, and collaboration structure. We show that sustainability science has been growing explosively since the late 1980s when foundational publications in the field increased its pull on new authors and intensified their interactions. The field has an unusual geographic footprint combining contributions and connecting through collaboration cities and nations at very different levels of development. Its decomposition into traditional disciplines reveals its emphasis on the management of human, social, and ecological systems seen primarily from an engineering and policy perspective. Finally, we show that the integration of these perspectives has created a new field only in recent years as judged by the emergence of a giant component of scientific collaboration. These developments demonstrate the existence of a growing scientific field of sustainability science as an unusual, inclusive and ubiquitous scientific practice and bode well for its continued impact and longevity.

Emerging perspectives on transforming the healthcare system: redesign strategies and a call for needed research.

PubMed

Doebbeling, Bradley N; Flanagan, Mindy E

2011-12-01

U.S. healthcare requires major redesign of its delivery systems, finances, and incentives. Healthcare operations, leadership, and payors are increasingly recognizing the need for community-business-research partnerships to transform healthcare. New models of continuous learning, research, and development should help focus and sustain redesign efforts. This study summarizes suggested strategies for transformational change in healthcare and identifies needed areas for research to inform, spread, and sustain transformational change. We developed these recommendations based on a series of review papers, invited expert discussion, and a subsequent review in the context of a health system transformation research conference (The Regenstrief Biennial Research Conference). The multidisciplinary audience included health systems researchers, clinicians, informaticians, social and engineering scientists, and operational and business leaders. Conference participants and literature reviews identified key strategies for system redesign with the following themes: using the framework of complex adaptive systems; fostering organizational redesign; developing appropriate performance measures and incentives; creating continuous learning organizations; and integrating health information, technology, and communication into practice. Sustained investment in research and development in these areas is crucial. Multiple issues influence the likelihood that healthcare leaders will make transformational changes in their healthcare systems. Healthcare leaders, clinicians, researchers, journals, and academic institutions, in partnership with payors, government and multiple other stakeholders, should apply the recommendations relevant to their own setting to redesign healthcare delivery, improve cognitive support, and sustain transformation. Fostering further research investments in these areas will increase the impact of transformation on the health and healthcare of the public.

Evolution and structure of sustainability science

PubMed Central

Bettencourt, Luís M. A.; Kaur, Jasleen

2011-01-01

The concepts of sustainable development have experienced extraordinary success since their advent in the 1980s. They are now an integral part of the agenda of governments and corporations, and their goals have become central to the mission of research laboratories and universities worldwide. However, it remains unclear how far the field has progressed as a scientific discipline, especially given its ambitious agenda of integrating theory, applied science, and policy, making it relevant for development globally and generating a new interdisciplinary synthesis across fields. To address these questions, we assembled a corpus of scholarly publications in the field and analyzed its temporal evolution, geographic distribution, disciplinary composition, and collaboration structure. We show that sustainability science has been growing explosively since the late 1980s when foundational publications in the field increased its pull on new authors and intensified their interactions. The field has an unusual geographic footprint combining contributions and connecting through collaboration cities and nations at very different levels of development. Its decomposition into traditional disciplines reveals its emphasis on the management of human, social, and ecological systems seen primarily from an engineering and policy perspective. Finally, we show that the integration of these perspectives has created a new field only in recent years as judged by the emergence of a giant component of scientific collaboration. These developments demonstrate the existence of a growing scientific field of sustainability science as an unusual, inclusive and ubiquitous scientific practice and bode well for its continued impact and longevity. PMID:22114186

The Path to a UV/optical/IR Flagship: ATLAST and Its Predecessors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thronson, Harley; Bolcar, Matthew R.; Clampin, Mark; Crooke, Julie; Feinberg, Lee; Oegerle, William; Postman, Marc; Rioux, Norman; Stahl, H. Philip; Stapelfeldt, Karl

2016-01-01

The recently completed study for the Advanced Technology Large-Aperture Telescope (ATLAST) was the culmination of three years of work that built upon earlier engineering designs, science objectives, and sustained recommendations for technology investments. Since the mid-1980s, multiple teams of astronomers, technologists, and engineers have developed concepts for a large-aperture UV/optical/IR space observatory to follow the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Especially over the past decade, technology advances and exciting scientific results has led to growing support for development in the 2020s of a large UVOIR space observatory. Here we summarize the history of major mission designs, scientific goals, key technology recommendations, community workshops and conferences, and recommendations to NASA for a major UV/optical/IR observatory to follow HST. We conclude with a capsule summary of the ATLAST reference design developed over the past three years.

Implementation of Wireless and Intelligent Sensor Technologies in the Propulsion Test Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Solano, Wanda M.; Junell, Justin C.; Shumard, Kenneth

2003-01-01

From the first Saturn V rocket booster (S-II-T) testing in 1966 and the routine Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) testing beginning in 1975, to more recent test programs such as the X-33 Aerospike Engine, the Integrated Powerhead Development (IPD) program, and the Hybrid Sounding Rocket (HYSR), Stennis Space Center (SSC) continues to be a premier location for conducting large-scale propulsion testing. Central to each test program is the capability for sensor systems to deliver reliable measurements and high quality data, while also providing a means to monitor the test stand area to the highest degree of safety and sustainability. As part of an on-going effort to enhance the testing capabilities of Stennis Space Center, the Test Technology and Development group is developing and applying a number of wireless and intelligent sensor technologies in ways that are new to the test existing test environment.

The impact of project-based learning on improving student learning outcomes of sustainability concepts in transportation engineering courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fini, Elham H.; Awadallah, Faisal; Parast, Mahour M.; Abu-Lebdeh, Taher

2018-05-01

This paper describes an intervention to enhance students' learning by involving students in brainstorming activities about sustainability concepts and their implications in transportation engineering. The paper discusses the process of incorporating the intervention into a transportation course, as well as the impact of this intervention on students' learning outcomes. To evaluate and compare students' learning as a result of the intervention, the Laboratory for Innovative Technology and Engineering Education survey instrument was used. The survey instrument includes five constructs: higher-order cognitive skills, self-efficacy, ease of learning subject matter, teamwork, and communication skills. Pre- and post-intervention surveys of student learning outcomes were conducted to determine the effectiveness of the intervention on enhancing students' learning outcomes. The results show that the implementation of the intervention significantly improved higher-order cognitive skills, self-efficacy, teamwork, and communication skills. Involving students in brainstorming activities related to sustainability concepts and their implications in transportation proved to be an effective teaching and learning strategy.

Dedicated Industrial Oilseed Crops as Metabolic Engineering Platforms for Sustainable Industrial Feedstock Production

PubMed Central

Zhu, Li-Hua; Krens, Frans; Smith, Mark A.; Li, Xueyuan; Qi, Weicong; van Loo, Eibertus N.; Iven, Tim; Feussner, Ivo; Nazarenus, Tara J.; Huai, Dongxin; Taylor, David C.; Zhou, Xue-Rong; Green, Allan G.; Shockey, Jay; Klasson, K. Thomas; Mullen, Robert T.; Huang, Bangquan; Dyer, John M.; Cahoon, Edgar B.

2016-01-01

Feedstocks for industrial applications ranging from polymers to lubricants are largely derived from petroleum, a non-renewable resource. Vegetable oils with fatty acid structures and storage forms tailored for specific industrial uses offer renewable and potentially sustainable sources of petrochemical-type functionalities. A wide array of industrial vegetable oils can be generated through biotechnology, but will likely require non-commodity oilseed platforms dedicated to specialty oil production for commercial acceptance. Here we show the feasibility of three Brassicaceae oilseeds crambe, camelina, and carinata, none of which are widely cultivated for food use, as hosts for complex metabolic engineering of wax esters for lubricant applications. Lines producing wax esters >20% of total seed oil were generated for each crop and further improved for high temperature oxidative stability by down-regulation of fatty acid polyunsaturation. Field cultivation of optimized wax ester-producing crambe demonstrated commercial utility of these engineered crops and a path for sustainable production of other industrial oils in dedicated specialty oilseeds. PMID:26916792

Dedicated Industrial Oilseed Crops as Metabolic Engineering Platforms for Sustainable Industrial Feedstock Production.

PubMed

Zhu, Li-Hua; Krens, Frans; Smith, Mark A; Li, Xueyuan; Qi, Weicong; van Loo, Eibertus N; Iven, Tim; Feussner, Ivo; Nazarenus, Tara J; Huai, Dongxin; Taylor, David C; Zhou, Xue-Rong; Green, Allan G; Shockey, Jay; Klasson, K Thomas; Mullen, Robert T; Huang, Bangquan; Dyer, John M; Cahoon, Edgar B

2016-02-26

Feedstocks for industrial applications ranging from polymers to lubricants are largely derived from petroleum, a non-renewable resource. Vegetable oils with fatty acid structures and storage forms tailored for specific industrial uses offer renewable and potentially sustainable sources of petrochemical-type functionalities. A wide array of industrial vegetable oils can be generated through biotechnology, but will likely require non-commodity oilseed platforms dedicated to specialty oil production for commercial acceptance. Here we show the feasibility of three Brassicaceae oilseeds crambe, camelina, and carinata, none of which are widely cultivated for food use, as hosts for complex metabolic engineering of wax esters for lubricant applications. Lines producing wax esters >20% of total seed oil were generated for each crop and further improved for high temperature oxidative stability by down-regulation of fatty acid polyunsaturation. Field cultivation of optimized wax ester-producing crambe demonstrated commercial utility of these engineered crops and a path for sustainable production of other industrial oils in dedicated specialty oilseeds.

Teaching Sustainability from a Scientific Standpoint at the Introductory Level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campbell-Stone, E.; Myers, J. D.

2008-12-01

In recent decades, humankind has recognized that current levels of resource utilization are seriously impacting our planet's life support systems and threatening the ability of future generations to provide for themselves. The concept of sustainability has been promoted by a variety of national and international organizations as a method to devise ways to adjust humanity's habits and consumption to levels that can be maintained over the long term, i.e. sustained. Courses on sustainability are being offered at many universities and colleges, but most are taught outside of science departments; they are often designed around policy concerns or focus primarily on environmental impacts while neglecting the science of sustainability. Because the three foundations necessary to implement sustainability are sustainability governance, sustainability accounting, and sustainability science, it is imperative that science departments play an active role in preparing citizens and professionals for dealing with sustainability issues. The geosciences are one of the scientific disciplines that offer a logical foundation from which to teach sustainability science. Geoscientists can also offer a unique and relevant geologic perspective on sustainability issues. The authors have developed an introductory, interdisciplinary course entitled 'Global Sustainability: Managing Earth's Resources' that integrates scientific disciplines in the examination of real world sustainability issues. In-depth understanding of physical, Earth and biological science principles are necessary for students to identify the limits and constraints imposed on important issues facing modern society, e.g. water, energy, population growth, etc. This course exposes students to all the scientific principles that apply directly to sustainability. The subject allows the instructors to present open-ended, multifaceted and complex problems relevant to today's industrialized and globalized world, and it encourages students to think critically about global, national, and local issues. The course utilizes a lecture/lab format; lecture concentrates on the content of sustainability and lab offers students an opportunity to apply what they have learned to actual case studies (context). Students follow a variety of Earth resources from formation to extraction to processing to production to disposal/recycling. At each stage, students examine the relevant science, economics, policies, and environmental impact. Sustainability issues clearly demonstrate the relevance of scientific content and quantitative reasoning to real-world problems of energy, pollution, water, and climate change, and they also provide meaning and context to critical thinking and problem-solving. The integrated and interdisciplinary approach builds bridges between the natural and social sciences and benefits both STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and non-STEM students. Non-STEM students learn through practice and application how science, engineering and technology are fundamental to solving many of the problems societies face, and STEM students discover that those fields cannot operate independently from issues of culture, economics, and politics. By having STEM and non-STEM students work in groups on global sustainability problems, the course helps to lower the barriers between the disciplines and promotes comprehensive and multifaceted examination of societal issues at many levels.

Engineered Hydrogels for Local and Sustained Delivery of RNA-Interference Therapies.

PubMed

Wang, Leo L; Burdick, Jason A

2017-01-01

It has been nearly two decades since RNA-interference (RNAi) was first reported. While there are no approved clinical uses, several phase II and III clinical trials suggest the great promise of RNAi therapeutics. One challenge for RNAi therapies is the controlled localization and sustained presentation to target tissues, to both overcome systemic toxicity concerns and to enhance in vivo efficacy. One approach that is emerging to address these limitations is the entrapment of RNAi molecules within hydrogels for local and sustained release. In these systems, nucleic acids are either delivered as siRNA conjugates or within nanoparticles. A plethora of hydrogels has been implemented using these approaches, including both traditional hydrogels that have already been developed for other applications and new hydrogels developed specifically for RNAi delivery. These hydrogels have been applied to various applications in vivo, including cancer, bone regeneration, inflammation and cardiac repair. This review will examine the design and implementation of such hydrogel RNAi systems and will cover the most recent applications of these systems. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

TRACI 2.0 - The Tool for the Reduction and Assessment of ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

TRACI 2.0, the Tool for the Reduction and Assessment of Chemical and other environmental Impacts 2.0, has been expanded and developed for sustainability metrics, life cycle impact assessment, industrial ecology, and process design impact assessment for developing increasingly sustainable products, processes, facilities, companies, and communities. TRACI 2.0 allows the quantification of stressors that have potential effects, including ozone depletion, global warming, acidification, eutrophication, tropospheric ozone (smog) formation, human health criteria-related effects, human health cancer, human health noncancer, ecotoxicity, and fossil fuel depletion effects. Research is on going to quantify the use of land and water in a future version of TRACI. The original version of TRACI released in August 2002, has been used in many prestigious applications including: the US Green Building Council’s LEED Certification, the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s BEES (Building for Environment and Economic Sustainability) which is used by US EPA for Environmentally Preferable Purchasing, the US Marine Corps’ EKAT (Environmental Knowledge and Assessment Tool) for military and non-military uses, and within numerous college curriculums in engineering and design departments. To inform the public.

Outreach and education in urban Los Angeles Schools: integration of research into middle and high school science curriculum through the NSF GK-12 SEE-LA program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daniel, J. C.; Hogue, T. S.; Moldwin, M. B.; Nonacs, P.

2012-12-01

A National Science Foundation Graduate Teaching Fellows in K- 12 Education program at UCLA (SEE-LA; http://measure.igpp.ucla.edu/GK12-SEE-LA/ ) partners UCLA faculty and graduate students (fellows) with urban middle and high school science teachers and their students to foster programs of science and engineering exploration that bring the environment of Los Angeles into the classroom. UCLA science and engineering graduate fellows serve as scientists-in-residence at four partner schools to integrate inquiry-based science lessons, facilitate advancements in science content teaching, and ultimately, to improve their own science communication skills. As part of their fellowship, graduate students are required to develop three "major" lessons, including one based on their PhD research at UCLA. During the first four years of the project, the SEE-LA fellows have developed a range of research-based activities, including lessons on sustainable fisheries, ecosystems and remote sensing, earthquakes, urban water quality including invertebrate observations, and post-fire soil chemistry, among others. This presentation will provide an overview of the SEE-LA GK-12 program and development of research lessons that also address California State Science Standards. We also discuss potential sustainability of GK-12 type outreach and education programs. The SEE-LA program has provided development of graduate student communication and teaching skills while also contributing significantly to the integration of science education into K-12 curriculum in Los Angeles schools.

Acclimating international graduate students to professional engineering ethics.

PubMed

Newberry, Byron; Austin, Katherine; Lawson, William; Gorsuch, Greta; Darwin, Thomas

2011-03-01

This article describes the education portion of an ongoing grant-sponsored education and research project designed to help graduate students in all engineering disciplines learn about the basic ethical principles, rules, and obligations associated with engineering practice in the United States. While the curriculum developed for this project is used for both domestic and international students, the educational materials were designed to be sensitive to the specific needs of international graduate students. In recent years, engineering programs in the United States have sought to develop a larger role for professional ethics education in the curriculum. Accreditation requirements, as well as pressures from the private sector, have helped facilitate this shift in focus. Almost half of all engineering graduate students in the U.S. are international students. Further, research indicates that the majority of these students will remain in the U.S. to work post-graduation. It is therefore in the interest of the profession that these students, coming from diverse backgrounds, receive some formal exposure to the professional and ethical expectations and norms of the engineering profession in the United States to help ensure that they have the knowledge and skills--non-technical as well as technical--required in today's engineering profession. In becoming acculturated to professional norms in a host country, international students face challenges that domestic students do not encounter; such as cultural competency, language proficiency, and acculturation stress. Mitigating these challenges must be a consideration in the development of any effective education materials. The present article discusses the project rationale and describes the development of on-line instructional materials aimed at helping international engineering graduate students acclimate to professional engineering ethics standards in the United States. Finally, a brief data summary of students' perceptions of the usefulness of the content and instructional interface is provided to demonstrate the initial effectiveness of the materials and to present a case for project sustainability.

Fabrication and characterization of a rapid prototyped tissue engineering scaffold with embedded multicomponent matrix for controlled drug release.

PubMed

Chen, Muwan; Le, Dang Q S; Hein, San; Li, Pengcheng; Nygaard, Jens V; Kassem, Moustapha; Kjems, Jørgen; Besenbacher, Flemming; Bünger, Cody

2012-01-01

Bone tissue engineering implants with sustained local drug delivery provide an opportunity for better postoperative care for bone tumor patients because these implants offer sustained drug release at the tumor site and reduce systemic side effects. A rapid prototyped macroporous polycaprolactone scaffold was embedded with a porous matrix composed of chitosan, nanoclay, and β-tricalcium phosphate by freeze-drying. This composite scaffold was evaluated on its ability to deliver an anthracycline antibiotic and to promote formation of mineralized matrix in vitro. Scanning electronic microscopy, confocal imaging, and DNA quantification confirmed that immortalized human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC-TERT) cultured in the scaffold showed high cell viability and growth, and good cell infiltration to the pores of the scaffold. Alkaline phosphatase activity and osteocalcin staining showed that the scaffold was osteoinductive. The drug-release kinetics was investigated by loading doxorubicin into the scaffold. The scaffolds comprising nanoclay released up to 45% of the drug for up to 2 months, while the scaffold without nanoclay released 95% of the drug within 4 days. Therefore, this scaffold can fulfill the requirements for both bone tissue engineering and local sustained release of an anticancer drug in vitro. These results suggest that the scaffold can be used clinically in reconstructive surgery after bone tumor resection. Moreover, by changing the composition and amount of individual components, the scaffold can find application in other tissue engineering areas that need local sustained release of drug.

Fabrication and characterization of a rapid prototyped tissue engineering scaffold with embedded multicomponent matrix for controlled drug release

PubMed Central

Chen, Muwan; Le, Dang QS; Hein, San; Li, Pengcheng; Nygaard, Jens V; Kassem, Moustapha; Kjems, Jørgen; Besenbacher, Flemming; Bünger, Cody

2012-01-01

Bone tissue engineering implants with sustained local drug delivery provide an opportunity for better postoperative care for bone tumor patients because these implants offer sustained drug release at the tumor site and reduce systemic side effects. A rapid prototyped macroporous polycaprolactone scaffold was embedded with a porous matrix composed of chitosan, nanoclay, and β-tricalcium phosphate by freeze-drying. This composite scaffold was evaluated on its ability to deliver an anthracycline antibiotic and to promote formation of mineralized matrix in vitro. Scanning electronic microscopy, confocal imaging, and DNA quantification confirmed that immortalized human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC-TERT) cultured in the scaffold showed high cell viability and growth, and good cell infiltration to the pores of the scaffold. Alkaline phosphatase activity and osteocalcin staining showed that the scaffold was osteoinductive. The drug-release kinetics was investigated by loading doxorubicin into the scaffold. The scaffolds comprising nanoclay released up to 45% of the drug for up to 2 months, while the scaffold without nanoclay released 95% of the drug within 4 days. Therefore, this scaffold can fulfill the requirements for both bone tissue engineering and local sustained release of an anticancer drug in vitro. These results suggest that the scaffold can be used clinically in reconstructive surgery after bone tumor resection. Moreover, by changing the composition and amount of individual components, the scaffold can find application in other tissue engineering areas that need local sustained release of drug. PMID:22904634

Recommendations to Sustain the Academic Mission Ecosystem at U.S. Medical Schools.

PubMed

Kerschner, Joseph E; Hedges, Jerris R; Antman, Karen; Abraham, Edward; Colón Negrón, Edgar; Jameson, J Larry

2018-07-01

Academic medical center (AMC) faculty, administrators, and leaders have the critical tasks of teaching and training the next generation of health care providers and biomedical researchers, as well as generating new knowledge that improves the health of all. In the United States, medical schools and their affiliated hospitals train remarkably high-quality physicians and scientists, and the research conducted at these institutions results in advances in health. To that end, AMCs have become essential engines for driving better health in the United States and the rest of the world; they also have become essential engines driving the economies of their respective communities and regions. The education and research missions, however, require subsidization because tuition and extramural grant funding do not cover the costs of these endeavors. This subsidization largely has come from revenues generated by AMCs' clinical endeavors. The viability of this cross-subsidization, however, is increasingly threatened in the current clinical environment. The authors of this Perspective discuss these issues in depth and provide some concrete recommendations to address these challenges. They hope to stimulate discussion and, ultimately, ensure the financial viability of U.S. AMCs-a national resource of utmost importance. Recommendations to sustain research include creating strategic biomedical research plans, developing a defined and sustained model to support National Institutes of Health funding that keeps pace with inflation, and evolving funding mechanisms. Recommendations to sustain medical education include limiting student debt, creating more cost-effective curricula, and ensuring that clinical training opportunities that meet national standards are available to students.

Making the Case for a Model-Based Definition of Engineering Materials (Postprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-09-12

MBE relies on digi- tal representations, or a model-based definition (MBD), to define a product throughout design , manufacturing and sus- tainment...discovery through development, scale-up, product design and qualification, manufacture and sustainment have changed little over the past decades. This...testing data provided a certifiable material definition, so as to minimize risk and simplify procurement of materials during the design , manufacture , and

International Space Station Medical Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Starkey, Blythe A.

2008-01-01

The goals and objectives of the ISS Medical Project (ISSMP) are to: 1) Maximize the utilization the ISS and other spaceflight platforms to assess the effects of longduration spaceflight on human systems; 2) Devise and verify strategies to ensure optimal crew performance; 3) Enable development and validation of a suite of integrated physical (e.g., exercise), pharmacologic and/or nutritional countermeasures against deleterious effects of space flight that may impact mission success or crew health. The ISSMP provides planning, integration, and implementation services for Human Research Program research tasks and evaluation activities requiring access to space or related flight resources on the ISS, Shuttle, Soyuz, Progress, or other spaceflight vehicles and platforms. This includes pre- and postflight activities; 2) ISSMP services include operations and sustaining engineering for HRP flight hardware; experiment integration and operation, including individual research tasks and on-orbit validation of next generation on-orbit equipment; medical operations; procedures development and validation; and crew training tools and processes, as well as operation and sustaining engineering for the Telescience Support Center; and 3) The ISSMP integrates the HRP approved flight activity complement and interfaces with external implementing organizations, such as the ISS Payloads Office and International Partners, to accomplish the HRP's objectives. This effort is led by JSC with Baseline Data Collection support from KSC.