University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign Research Articles

Nutritional Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), the land-grant university for the State of Illinois, was founded in 1865, and education in nutrition was recorded as early as 1874. Herein, the contributions of the UIUC to research and graduate training in the field of nutrition are highlighted. Over the past 150 years, faculty members from many academic units have provided foundational nutrition research, including identifying the last essential amino acid, threonine, and establishing chemically defined amino acid diets for chicks, rats, dogs, and cats that led to establishing amino acid requirements for these species. Research on the adverse health effects of trans fatty acids supported their removal from the food system. UIUC has led in the area of functional foods for health, including plant bioactives, soy, and fiber. More recently, UIUC faculty have evaluated the interactions between dietary components and neurocognitive, microbiome, and health outcomes, including cancer. In 2020, the cross-campus Personalized Nutrition Initiative was launched to coordinate interdisciplinary research. The Division of Nutritional Sciences was established in 1968 as one of the country’s first interdisciplinary graduate training programs. The Division of Nutritional Sciences program has conferred over 580 degrees and has implemented innovations in graduate education, many supported by federal training grants and endowed awards and programs.

Modeling of an Energy-Diverse Embedded Grid for Microreactor Integration

Microreactors present an opportunity to revolutionize the role of nuclear energy via the development of these technologies in a diverse and distributed energy network for a clean energy future. Because of the limited output of these novel systems, the deployment of microreactors should be focused on high-value applications in order to realize their full potential. This involves understanding the microreactor performance and how it interacts with the preexisting infrastructure. In this work, an energy-diverse embedded grid is modeled using OpenModelica in order to study the impact of microreactor integration under several distinct deployment approaches. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) is used as a prototypic market due to its well-characterized energy ecosystem with available extensive real-time and historical data. The UIUC model recreates the existing chilled-water, steam, and electricity infrastructure, including wind, solar, and cogeneration sources. The infrastructure model simulates the interplay between the three utilities and how different microreactor integration approaches would impact UIUC’s embedded grid. From this study, the deployment of a single microreactor under electric load-conditioning, steam production retrofit, or a hybrid of both is found to be the most appropriate in consideration of their unique advantages toward cost savings and grid resilience. Meanwhile, if grid resiliency is not a main objective, the greatest emissions reduction and cost-savings benefits can be obtained by operating the reactor in a base-loading configuration. This study employed historically low coal and gas prices and provided a conservatively low estimate for the benefits from a microreactor. Given the price volatility of fossil fuels, the benefits of the microreactor are expected to be greater than this estimate. Finally, the modular nature of the modeling framework allows for an extension of the analysis to other similar embedded grids.

Govindjee’s 90th birthday – Congratulations from friends and colleagues

On the occasion of the 90th birthday of Govindjee, Professor Emeritus of Plant Biology, Biochemistry, and Biophysics, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), over 100 celebrants have sent felicitations and messages to thank him for mentoring, nurturing, and building the community of photosynthesis researchers belonging to four generations; and in making the scientific knowledge accessible to students and young researchers via his monumental writings and editorial contributions. Govindjee joined UIUC in September of 1956 to study as a graduate student in the laboratory of Robert Emerson. In 1961, he joined UIUC as an Assistant Professor and retired as a full professor in 1999. He is well-known for pioneering work in oxygenic photosynthesis, leading to the current Z-scheme, and for his breakthrough advances concerning light harvesting, primary charge separation, the role of bicarbonate on the two-electron gate of photosystem II, water oxidation, nonphotochemical quenching, and the use of biophysical techniques, such as prompt fluorescence, delayed fluorescence, thermoluminescence, and nuclear magnetic resonance. Today, despite his retirement, Govindjee continues to explore several important questions in the field of photosynthesis and documents the history of science. This tribute, in turn, attempts to capture scientific collaborations, as well as scholarly and personal contributions made by Govindjee to the lives of hundreds of scholars and students worldwide.

Simulation of Effect of Airfoil MH32 with Variation Taper Ratio and Angle of Attack Coefficient Lift and Drag Fixed wing Unmanned Aircraft

Nowadays, the aerospace sector is growing very rapidly. One of the newest technologies is unmanned aerial vehicle. This UAV has functions to monitor disaster, mapping, espionage and shooting target. Therefore it needs a plane that can fly fast and agile. To achieve these characteristics, one of the most important things is the design of the wings. Some of the important parameters contained in the wings are the type of airfoil, aspect ratio, wing area, taper ratio, and angle of attack. The article aims to analyze the type of airfoil MH32 as well as the effect of the parameter taper ratio with variations of 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 in variations of angle of attack 0 °, 3 °, 6 °, 12 ° and 15 ° to the value of coefficient of lift and coefficient of drag. The method used in this research is experimental with a computational approach using a computer, the advantage of this method is that it does not need a real plane shape. The type of simulation used is Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) found in Ansys Fluent. From the simulation, value of coefficient of lift, coefficient of drag, and image of pressure contour and streamline velocity were obtained. All the data was processed and analyzed, then the result is that the taper ratio 0.4 has the highest lift to drag ratio of 19,417. It means that it has the highest value of the coefficient of lift and has the lowest coefficient of drag. These simulated results are validated with experimental from UIUC (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) 1996. The conclusion of this study is that the smaller the taper ratio, the greater the value of the lift coefficient. Then increase the angle of attack to make the value of the lift coefficient is also getting bigger.

High-Resolution NWP Forecast Precipitation Comparison over Complex Terrain of the Sierras de Córdoba during RELAMPAGO-CACTI

Abstract Sierras de Córdoba (Argentina) is characterized by the occurrence of extreme precipitation events during the austral warm season. Heavy precipitation in the region has a large societal impact, causing flash floods. This motivates the forecast performance evaluation of 24-h accumulated precipitation and vertical profiles of atmospheric variables from different numerical weather prediction (NWP) models with the final aim of helping water management in the region. The NWP models evaluated include the Global Forecast System (GFS), which parameterizes convection, and convection-permitting simulations of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model configured by three institutions: University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (UIUC), Colorado State University (CSU), and National Meteorological Service of Argentina (SMN). These models were verified with daily accumulated precipitation data from rain gauges and soundings during the RELAMPAGO-CACTI field campaign. Generally all configurations of the higher-resolution WRFs outperformed the lower-resolution GFS based on multiple metrics. Among the convection-permitting WRF Models, results varied with respect to rainfall threshold and forecast lead time, but the WRFUIUC mostly performed the best. However, elevation-dependent biases existed among the models that may impact the use of the data for different applications. There is a dry (moist) bias in lower (upper) pressure levels which is most pronounced in the GFS. For Córdoba an overestimation of the northern flow forecasted by the NWP configurations at lower levels was encountered. These results show the importance of convection-permitting forecasts in this region, which should be complementary to the coarser-resolution global model forecasts to help various users and decision-makers.

Realizing “net-zero-carbon” sustainable aviation fuel

Realizing “net-zero-carbon” sustainable aviation fuel

Carl Nelson Cederstrand (1927–2022): A Biophysicist, an Innovator and a Wonderful Person

We provide a glimpse of the personal and professional life of Carl Nelson Cederstrand, most of the personal part is contributed by the daughter Laura Cederstrand (LC), and his research part in the Life Sciences is provided by Govindjee, his early collaborator and friend. Carl is remembered for his critical contributions to the discovery, in 1957, of the Emerson Enhancement Effect that led to the current Z-Scheme of photosynthesis, and later to the absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy of algae through his design and construction of a unique spectrophotometer, at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC). After receiving his PhD at UIUC, he worked at Beckman Instrument’s research division in California, where he designed an oxygen analyser that went to the Moon as part of one of the Apollo missions. Carl is best known for designing many infrared and ultraviolet detectors and creatively applying these in various ways in the life sciences, for which he is listed as inventor in nearly a dozen patents. Above all, Carl is remembered for his inventions that have significantly impacted many areas of the life sciences. We have included here his great insight into and fascination with MG cars. We end this Tribute to Carl with a reminiscence by his wife Darlene Kelly, and our summary of his personal family life.

Leveraging Social–Emotional Learning to Promote Excellence and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A District–University Partnership

Social–emotional learning (SEL) has never been more important as the nation rebuilds after the COVID-19 pandemic and grapples with ongoing racial injustice. More work is needed to promote racial healing in our nation’s schools. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work in the midst and aftermath of the pandemic is challenging; effort, engagement, and trust-building are required to produce sustainable change that truly makes a difference for students. This column features a successful district–university partnership that focuses on SEL as a lever to promote student excellence and DEI. We reflect on the process of beginning this partnership, highlight three key principles, and offer suggestions for establishing and sustaining such partnerships. The partnership between the Mahomet-Seymour School District (MSSD) and the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (UIUC) was established in 2018. The MSSD student body is overall affluent, although it serves a small...

Effect evaluation of drainage condition and water content on cyclic plastic deformation of aged ballast and its estimation models

With the ballast aging, the changes in the size and shape of the ballast particle reduce the drainage capacity, as well as cause a greater permanent deformation of the railroad ballast. Therefore, it is meaningful to investigate the effect of aging on the mechanical behavior of unsaturated ballast, and to estimate the cyclic plastic deformation by considering the aging effects. Here, “aging effect” means the increase in fine fraction content and the particle shape becomes rounded and smooth as compared with fresh ballast. In this study, the influence of aging on the cyclic plastic deformation of unsaturated ballast was evaluated through a series of cyclic loading triaxial compression tests. Test results indicate that the cyclic plastic deformation of ballast is seriously affected by water content, fine fraction content and drainage condition, and the increasing trend becomes more remarkable at the water-rich aged ballast under the fully undrained condition since the effective confining pressure decreases due to the generation of excess pore water pressure. Furthermore, the applicability of two types of estimation models (i.e., a semi-empirical model named University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) model, and an elasto-plastic model named subloading surface extension (SSE) model) to the prediction for cyclic plastic deformation of unsaturated ballast is also verified in this study by comparing with results of cyclic loading triaxial compression tests. As the result, it is revealed that the UIUC model is suitable for predicting the cyclic plastic deformation of fresh ballast (or slightly aged ballast) with different water contents under the fully drained condition, and the SSE model shows good potential to estimate the cyclic plastic deformation of fresh and aged ballasts by considering the effects of water content and drainage condition. The findings of this study indicate that drainage conditions have a significant effect on predicting the cyclic plastic deformation of aged ballast, and appropriate test conditions for triaxial compression tests (i.e., CD and CU tests) should be selected according to hydraulic properties (i.e., permeability and water retentivity) of the aged ballast.

Stressed? Depressed? You are not alone

Many physicists find that establishing work–life balance is crucial to battling the COVID-related stresses of isolation, low productivity, and despondency.

Dr. Nathan M. Newmark

Nathan M. Newmark fue un educador e ingeniero de fama internacional. Fue ampliamente reconocido por sus investigaciones en la ingeniería estructural y en la dinámica estructural en la University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), y por sus contribuciones al diseño de estructuras resistentes a sismos, incluida la Torre Latinoamericana en la Ciudad de México y por su trabajo en el diseño del oleoducto trans-Alaska. Sus importantes contribuciones al diseño sismo resistente de estructuras lo han llevado ser considerado como el padre fundador de la ingeniería sísmica.

Enabling Technology Maturation in Carbon Capture: The Role of a University Based Power Plant as a Test Facility

The Abbott Power Plant at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) provides a unique facility for testing carbon capture, utilization, and energy storage technologies. This combined heat and power (CHP) facility supplies power and electricity for the needs of the UIUC campus. Despite being an operational plant, Abbott Power Plant is actively engaged in a variety of projects. These projects range in technology readiness level (TRL) and demonstrate the ability of the plant to couple field research with operational excellence. While the plant is a fossil asset (e.g., coal and natural gas boilers), it is connected through the campus grid to renewables. This connectivity provides the ability to evaluate how new technologies (e.g., capture, utilization, and energy storage) respond to variations in the grid due to the increased penetration of variable renewables. Because the plant is located on the UIUC campus, it is also engaged in educational activities at both the undergraduate and graduate level. The ability of the plant to couple operational excellence with research and development (R&D) and education makes it an important asset for the evaluation of new technologies.

Load and response quantification of direct fixation fastening systems for heavy rail transit infrastructure

Ballastless track (i.e. slab track) systems are used extensively in passenger rail applications for improved track stability, alignment control, vibration, and life cycle cost (LCC) benefits. These systems regularly rely on Direct Fixation (DF) fasteners to connect the rail to the structure. Field performance observations have indicated that even under similar track geometry and train operating conditions, the DF fasteners useful life varies widely. Meanwhile, a review of literature reveals that there is limited prior research to guide optimization of DF fastener designs for heavy rail transit. Therefore, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) conducted a field investigation at three sites on a United States legacy heavy rail transit system to quantify wheel-rail interface loading demands and DF fastener response. Track response variance across similar track geometry was found. Wheel loads ranged between 2.7 to 18.2 kip (12.0 to 81.0 kN) and 0.9 to 12.4 kip (4.0 to 55.2 kN) for vertical and lateral loads, respectively. Lateral rail head displacements ranged between −0.05 to 0.16 inches (−1.27 to 4.06 mm) while dynamic lateral stiffness ranged from 42 to 62 kip/in. (7.3 to 10.8 kN/mm), indicating a low stiffness ratio for the DF fastener studied. Differences in behavior are attributed to dynamic vehicle-track interaction, the relationship between balanced and operating speeds, and differences in track gauge between sites. A comparison of vertical loading results with two additional heavy rail transit agencies shows Burr distributions that accurately represent the loading demands. Results from this study provide quantitative information that can be leveraged to improve heavy rail transit DF fastening system design and development of representative design validation testing protocols.

Dietary Organic Acids Modulate Gut Microbiota and Improve Growth Performance of Nursery Pigs.

Feed additives have been suggested to improve animal growth performance through modulating the gut microbiota. The hypothesis of this study was that the combination of two organic acids would exert synergistic effects on the growth performance and gut microbiota of weaning pigs. To test this hypothesis, we followed 398 weaning pigs from two university experiment stations (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and University of Arkansas (UA)) to determine the effects of increasing levels (0%, 0.035%, 0.070%, and 0.105%) of sodium butyrate combined with 0.5% benzoic acid on the growth performance of nursery pigs. At the UA, an additional negative control diet was included and the gut microbiota analysis was carried out. At both universities, increasing levels of sodium butyrate in a diet containing 0.5% benzoic acid improved growth performance, which reached a plateau in the pigs fed 0.035% (SBA0.035) or 0.070% (SBA0.070) butyrate. Gut microbiota analysis revealed that pigs fed the SBA0.035 diet had more diverse microbiota and contained more potentially beneficial bacteria such as Oscillospira, Blautia, and Turicibacter and reduced levels of Veillonella and Sarcina. Results of the present study indicated that the inclusion of sodium butyrate at moderate levels in a diet containing 0.5% benzoic acid improved growth performance of weaning pigs and established potential health benefits on gut microbiota.

Full-scale FEED Study for Retrofitting the Prairie State Generating Station with an 816 MWe Capture Plant using Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering Post-Combustion CO2 Capture Technology

This front-end engineering and design (FEED) study is for a carbon dioxide (CO2) capture system for Unit #2 (816 MW) at the Prairie State Generating Company’s (PSGC) Energy Campus in Marissa, IL. The capture technology used is the Advanced KM CDR Process™ from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI). The project will be the largest post-combustion capture plant in the world. In addition, it will incorporate advancements in the technology including lessons learned from past projects and a new proprietary solvent. The overall business model being developed by PSGC focuses on the generation of 45Q tax credits as a result of sequestering the captured CO2. Because the Prairie Research Institute (PRI) within the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) leads both this capture effort and the storage effort, there is close coordination and integration between the capture and storage efforts. This integration is vital to achieving the desired business targets for the project.

Analytical Model for the Performance Curves of a Family of Propellers Based on Wind Tunnel Tests

Propeller aircraft performance is greatly influenced by the performance of the propeller it uses. Thus, proper selection of a propeller for a given aircraft design at the early stages of the design process is fundamental. During the design of a new aircraft, simple yet accurate performance models are required to properly optimize the design. Significant experimental performance data of low speed, small propellers is available. The main objective of this work is to create and validate an analytical model for the performance curves of a family of propellers tested at low Reynolds numbers, which can be used in selecting a propeller for a given existing aircraft design or during its design optimization process. This kind of propellers is more commonly used in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). The model is designed in MATLAB® using a variety of regression techniques, such as the Least Squares Method (LSQ), applied to experimental data acquired at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), for seventeen APC Thin Electric propellers, and at the Department of Aerospace Sciences (DCA) of University of Beira Interior (UBI), for ten more APC Thin Electric propellers. The analytical model predicts propeller power coefficient and propulsive efficiency accurately for the family of propellers tested and can also be used for the propellers with dimensions close to those used for its development. The propeller performance data obtained during the experimental tests are made available the community to further increase the documentation on propellers tested at low Reynolds numbers.
 Keywords: Propeller, Low Reynolds propeller performance, Propeller tests, Wind tunnel

Expanding horizons: Encouraging cross‐campus student collaboration to develop a novel food product for individuals experiencing dysphagia

AbstractAt the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (UIUC), cross‐campus collaborations are strongly encouraged; however, due to the vast size of the university, opportunities for student collaboration commonly rely on serendipitous events—being at the right place at the right time. On a cold day in February 2017, the required serendipity befell Clarion Mendes (Speech and Hearing Sciences [SHS]) and Dawn Bohn (Food Science and Human Nutrition [FSHN] concentration Food Science [FS]). The SHS department is part of the College of Applied Health Sciences and the FS department is part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences. SHS graduate students in Speech–Language Pathology pursue careers in schools, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities. FS undergraduate and graduate students often pursue careers in food product development, quality assurance, sensory science, ingredient applications, and regulatory compliance. Seemingly, these two fields are contextually discrete (and geographically quite separated at UIUC). Nevertheless, through Clarion's vision and Dawn's enthusiasm, the two initiated an important student collaboration between two initially isolated, but forever connected, fields. How did professors from two very different fields determine that their students could make excellent collaborators? It all began with a well‐loved, neon–orange snack food—Cheetos®.

Technical note: concentrations of soluble, insoluble, and total dietary fiber in feed ingredients determined using Method AOAC 991.43 are not different from values determined using Method AOAC 2011.43 with the AnkomTDF Dietary Fiber Analyzer.

The primary objective of this experiment was to test the hypothesis that concentrations of soluble (SDF), insoluble (IDF), and total dietary fiber (TDF) in feed ingredients used in diets for pigs and poultry analyzed using Method AOAC 2011.25 are greater than values determined using Method AOAC 991.43. A second objective was to determine the variation that may exist among 3 laboratories using the 2 methods with the AnkomTDF Dietary Fiber Analyzer (Ankom Technology, Macedon, NY). The 3 laboratories were the Ministry of Agriculture Feed Industry Center (MAFIC) at China Agricultural University, Trouw Nutrition, and Hans H. Stein Monogastric Nutrition Laboratory at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). All laboratories analyzed SDF and IDF in feed ingredients in duplicate or triplicate using both methods AOAC 991.43 and 2011.25 with the AnkomTDF Dietary Fiber Analyzer. The 9 test ingredients were wheat, soybean meal, rapeseed meal, sugar beet pulp, peas, horse beans, native pea starch, and 2 samples of corn; 1 from Europe and 1 from China. All ingredient samples, with the exception of Chinese corn, were procured by Trouw Nutrition, ground to pass through a 0.5 mm screen, subsampled, and sent to MAFIC and UIUC. Data were analyzed using SDF, IDF, and TDF as response variables, replication as random effect, and method and location as fixed effects over all ingredients and within each ingredient. When averaged among 9 different ingredients, results indicated that SDF, IDF, and TDF values were not different with either method or at any laboratory. However, the concentration of IDF in corn, wheat, peas, and sugar beet pulp determined using Method AOAC 991.43 was greater (P < 0.05) compared with 2011.25. Soluble dietary fiber determined using Method AOAC 2011.25 was greater (P < 0.05) in corn, rapeseed meal, soybean meal, and sugar beet pulp compared with 991.43. There was no difference in TDF determined with either method, except for wheat having greater (P < 0.05) TDF when determined using Method AOAC 991.43. Interlaboratory variation for SDF, IDF, and TDF was 0.38, 0.87, 1.20, respectively, with Method AOAC 991.43 and 0.40, 0.93, and 1.27, respectively, with 2011.25. Therefore, values determined with the AnkomTDF Analyzer are repeatable among laboratories and can be used in feed formulation worldwide. In conclusion, it is recommended that Method AOAC 991.43 be used to determine SDF, IDF, and TDF in feed ingredients and diets for pigs and poultry.

Applicability of Modified University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign Model for Unbound Aggregate Material with Different Water Content

This paper proposes a modified University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (UIUC) model to predict permanent deformation behavior of unbound aggregate materials. Most existing models relate permanent deformation to resilient properties, whereas the UIUC model treats shear strength as a critical factor in permanent deformation behavior. Three types of test, monotonic shearing test, cyclic axial loading test, and cyclic axial and shear loading test, were conducted by multi-ring shear apparatus on two kinds of parallel grading aggregate materials, natural crusher-run and recycled crusher-run obtained from demolished concrete structure. Test results demonstrate that shear strength is the core factor in permanent deformation behavior, compared with resilient properties, and principal stress axis rotation (PSAR) greatly increases the permanent deformation. By considering the effect of PSAR on permanent deformation, a new parameter, ( Rs)ave, is added to the conventional UIUC model to modify it. Regression analysis results verify that the modified UIUC model has good applicability for predicting permanent deformation of aggregates with different water contents and stress states, and with and without PSAR. The modified UIUC model builds a relation between test results with and without PSAR. A simple framework is also proposed for predicting permanent deformation in flexible pavement structures based on the modified UIUC model.

Region, Nation, and Social Science:An Interview with Joseph L. Love on 50 Years of Studying Brazil

In late September 2016, the Lemann Institute for Brazilian Studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) hosted a symposium on regionalism in Brazilian history to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Professor Joseph L. Love's arrival at Illinois. Organized by the Institute's director, Professor Jerry Dávila, the symposium brought together historians from the United States and Brazil for a day-long discussion of an issue that continues to attract scholarly attention in both countries. Love himself contributed to the study of Brazilian regionalism with two landmark studies:Rio Grande do Sul and Brazilian Regionalism, 1882–1930(1971) andSão Paulo in the Brazilian Federation, 1889–1937(1980). The latter was produced alongside John Wirth'sMinas Gerais in the Brazilian Federation, 1889–1937(1977) and Robert Levine'sPernambuco in the Brazilian Federation, 1889–1937(1978) as part of a larger project conceived and carried out through a decade's worth of unprecedentedly close collaboration. At Illinois, Love inspired hundreds of undergraduates with his award-winning teaching and trained a bi-national cohort of graduate students who have gone on to careers of great distinction in Brazil and in the United States.