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Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Municipal Sludge: Inhibition of Heterocyclic N-Containing Organic Compounds from Aqueous Co-Product on Autotrophic Nitrifying Bacteria
No full textThese are the slides from a presentation given at 2024 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Annual Meeting on 10/30/2024.Waste-to-Energy (WtE) technologies hold significant importance in today’s world, enabling the conversion of various types of waste into high-value products. Different feedstocks can be applied to a technology called Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL). As the starting material undergoes HTL, it generates a mixture of solid, liquid, and gaseous products. Understanding the application of each HTL-resulting product is intrinsic and a highly investigated topic. The liquid fraction produced during an HTL reaction is called Aqueous-Co-Product (ACP), and an appropriate application has not been found yet due to its high organic composition and potential inhibitory compounds. Recycling the ACP back to the headworks of a Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) is a potential effort, but understanding how that would affect the microbial community in terms of its inhibition potential remains an ongoing area of research interest. While previous research has indicated inhibitory effects of HNOCs on heterotrophic growth, their impact on autotrophs remains unclear. In this study, ACP produced from municipal sludge HTL has been characterized for its biological toxicity, considering the presence of heterocyclic N-containing organic compounds (HNOCs). This investigation delved into the inhibitory effects of HNOCs on autotrophic nitrifying bacteria by determining the half-maximum inhibitory concentration (IC50) of ACP on nitrification. IC50 indicates the potency of a certain compound or substance in inhibiting a particular biological activity. Predominant HNOCs in ACP from municipal sludge were identified as 2-pyrrolidinone, 2-pyrazine, and 2-piperidinone and their derivatives, present at concentrations of 8.31, 8.22, and 0.96 mM, respectively. Individual testing revealed that 2-pyrrolidinone and 2-pyrazine hindered nitrifying bacteria by impeding ammonia uptake. Conversely, 2-piperidinone did not exhibit inhibitory effects on nitrification. Furthermore, testing of an ACP sample showed inhibitory effects on nitrification, with an IC50 of 0.08% (v/v), when the ACP was stored for 1 week after HTL reaction. Storage duration emerged as a significant variable, with ACP stored for 15 weeks showing reduced inhibitory effects on the nitrifying community. Specifically, the concentrations of HNOCs in the 1-week study decreased from 8.31, 8.22, and 0.96 mM to 6.36, 6.21, and 0.85 mM, respectively. The IC50 for the 15-week ACP was found to be 0.63% (v/v) which shows a clear reduction in its inhibitory effects on nitrifiers. In summary, this investigation underscores the inhibitory impact of ACP on nitrification, offering valuable insights for devising management strategies for the aqueous stream in municipal sludge HTL
Volatile Fatty Acids Recovery Through Anaerobic Co-Fermentation of Food Wastes and Swine Sediments
No full textThis study investigates the production of volatile fatty acids (VFA) through the anaerobic co-fermentation of food wastes (FW) and swine sediments (SS) under varying hydraulic retention times (HRT), pH conditions, and substrate ratios. The research aims to maximize the production of VFA and advance sustainable resource recovery from swine wastes. The co-fermentation experiments were conducted at two HRTs (5 days and 10 days) and two pH levels (5.5 and 9.0) using different substrate ratios: 100% FW, 80% FW: 20% SS, 50% FW: 50% SS, 20% FW: 80% SS, and 100% SS. The reactors were operated under mesophilic conditions (30°C to 35°C) with a constant organic loading rate of 762 +/- 93 mg COD/L-d. The highest VFA yield from co-fermentation (1,200 mg COD/L) was achieved with the 80% FW:20% SS ratio at a 10-day HRT and pH 5.5. Acetic acid was the predominant VFA produced, particularly at higher pH levels. The highest overall concentration of acetic acid is 950 mg COD/L under the condition of a 10-day HRT at pH 5.5 with 80% FW:20% SS ratio. A lower pH level of 5.5 favored VFA production when co-fermenting FW and SS, particularly at higher ratios of FW. However, as the pH increased to a more alkaline level of pH 9.0, VFA production improved, especially for substrates with a higher proportion of FW. The HRT played a crucial role, with the longer HRT of 10 days significantly enhancing VFA yield compared to the shorter HRT of 5 days. The substrate mix ratio was also critical; a mix with 80% FW: 20% SS at pH 5.5 and 10-day HRT resulted in the highest VFA production from co-fermentation. This study's outcomes are significant for large-scale production of volatile fatty acids from organic wastes, providing insights into the operational conditions that favor high yields. This research also underscores the potential for sustainable waste management practices, transforming waste into valuable bio-based resources. The findings can inform the design and operation of fermentation systems, contributing to enhanced resource recovery and environmental sustainability
A Campus Mobilized for Deferments: Using ROTC To Avoid the Korean War Draft at the University of Kansas
No full textSubmitted to the Department of History of the University of Kansas in partial fulfillment of the requirements for departmental honorsDuring the early 1950s, University of Kansas officials urged their students to join the various branches of the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) on campus to avoid the ongoing draft for the Korean War. This was done openly, without questioning the appropriateness of urging their students to avoid the draft. One of the many stated reasons why a KU student would volunteer for military service as an officer was that it was perceived to be much better than being a draftee in the Army. Nearly half of all men on campus would be deferred through enrollment in ROTC by the end of the war. With many university officials having been commissioned officers during the Second World War, those like Chancellor Franklin Murphy saw this avoidance of the draft as the patriotic duty of college-aged men. These beliefs would lead to stiff resistance to any attacks on the ROTC deferment scheme, especially in the case of star football player Henry “Bud” Laughlin whose ROTC deferment was revoked unduly. While the use of ROTC to avoid the draft would dramatically decrease after the Korean War due to unfulfilled promises, the institutional support for getting draft deferments for students is an important prelude to draft avoidance in the Vietnam War
Comparing the maximal horizontal deceleration demands between a novel acceleration to deceleration assessment and the 505 change of direction test
No full textThe importance of quantifying maximal horizontal deceleration performance in athlete populations has received a considerable increase in interest over recent years. However, research is still scarce investigating movement characteristics of maximal horizontal decelerations outside of measures derived from instantaneous horizontal velocity of the centre of mass, using technologies such as radar or laser-based devices. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the biomechanical differences for measures of deceleration ability between a novel deceleration task, and the 505 change of direction test, using an inertial measurement unit-based technology. Primary findings suggested differences across several biomechanical characteristics quantified during the deceleration phase, with moderate to large between-test effect sizes. Specifically, subjects were found to exhibit significantly greater reductions in velocity and horizontal braking forces in the 505. Further, subjects showed significantly shorter stopping times and distances in the acceleration-deceleration assessment, however, these displayed insufficient levels of reliability across both assessments, which should be interpreted as a limitation. Therefore, it may be speculated that based on our data, the 505 test, which possesses a predetermined stopping/turning point, presents a greater or different biomechanical challenge to individuals, which must be met with the appropriate neuromuscular and skill-related qualities to efficiently reduce whole-body momentum. These findings may be relevant to practitioners interested in choosing the right assessment to quantify athletes’ maximal horizontal deceleration performance, which can have implications for both health and performance
Course-Based Research Assignment: Photography Seminar: Final Research Presentation (PHTO 400/450)
No full textThis assignment was the product of a Research-Intensive Course Grant through KU’s Center for Undergraduate Research & Fellowships. These grants provide financial support and advising for instructors who want to incorporate larger research and creative projects into their classes.Whether a creative work begins intuitively or conceptually, research becomes integral to understanding and situating the work within a larger discourse or culture. In this iterative and often cyclical process, creative questioning leads to (>) research and discovery > sophisticated refinement of the work > more questioning and making, and so on. This assignment presents a guided research exercise in literature review, critical analysis, and discussion of the themes arising in the student’s photographic work to ultimately support its ongoing refinement and dialogue.
At completion of assignment, student will:
1. Be able to identify and research the themes and ideas underlying their photographic work.
2. Be able to present their findings as context for their photographic work and engage discussion on the work’s relationship to the ideas presented.
3. Be able to identify and apply relevant feedback to the next iteration of their photographic work
Using Explainable Artificial Intelligence to Understand Cross-sectional Obesity Prevalence in Rural and Urban U.S. Counties
No full textThese are the slides from a presentation given at the Obesity Week held in San Antonio, TX on 11/04/2024.Rural and urban environments can present distinct exposures that increase the risk for obesity. Machine learning approaches offer accurate models for geographic differences and obesity prevalence, but the models are often uninterpretable black boxes. The study uses SHapley Additive exPlanations, an explainable artificial intelligence approach, to perform a comparative analysis of two different machine learning models to better understand the risks for obesity in these unique environments. Utilizing data from the 2023 County Health Rankings, an aggregation of health-related metrics for 3,133 U.S. counties, we trained both models to predict obesity prevalence, using fivefold cross-validation. Model performance was based on the main absolute error of predictions, and distinct predictors for rural and urban areas were based on SHapley Additive exPlanations for future contributions in those counties. XGBoost outperformed Random Forest with mean absolute errors of 1.55 and 1.68, respectively. Notably, both models predicted obesity more accurately in rural than in urban areas (errors of 1.43 and 1.82, respectively). SHapley Additive exPlanations showed that the key factors influencing obesity prevalence across both environments included physical inactivity, smoking prevalence, and solo driving. Low air pollution was associated with lower obesity in rural areas, whereas a greater housing cost burden in urban areas predicted lower obesity prevalence. This study highlights the unique contributors to obesity and rural versus urban environments and reveals the general role of physical activity and obesity prevalence. The explainable artificial intelligence approach to machine learning can serve as a foundation for developing obesity treatments that are tailored to insights for models of regional and patient-level characteristics
Development of a nano-emulsion based multivalent protein subunit vaccine against Pseudomonas aeruginosa
No full textPseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen responsible for severe hospital acquired infections in immunocompromised and elderly individuals. Emergence of increasingly drug resistant strains and the absence of a broad-spectrum prophylactic vaccine against both T3SA+ (type III secretion apparatus) and ExlA+/T3SA- Pa strains worsen the situation in a post-pandemic world. Thus, we formulated a candidate subunit vaccine (called ExlA/L-PaF/BECC/ME) against both Pa types. This bivalent vaccine was generated by combining the C-terminal active moiety of exolysin A (ExlA) produced by non-T3SA Pa strains with our T3SA-based vaccine platform, L-PaF, in an oil-in-water emulsion. The ExlA/L-PaF in ME (MedImmune emulsion) was then mixed with BECC438b, an engineered lipid A analogue and a TLR4 agonist. This formulation was administered intranasally (IN) to young and elderly mice to determine its potency across a diverse age-range. The elderly mice were used to mimic the infection seen in elderly humans, who are more susceptible to serious Pa disease compared to their young adult counterparts. After Pa infection, mice immunized with ExlA/L-PaF/BECC/ME displayed a T cell-mediated adaptive response while PBS-vaccinated mice experienced a rapid onset inflammatory response. Important genes and pathways were observed, which give rise to an anti-Pa immune response. Thus, this vaccine has the potential to protect aged individuals in our population from serious Pa infection
Speak Out, Call In: Public Speaking as Advocacy, 2nd edition
No full textThis book was made possible by a grant provided by the University of Kansas Libraries with a contribution by the University of Kansas Student Senate. The first edition of this work is available in KU ScholarWorks at https://hdl.handle.net/1808/29446 ."Speak Out, Call In: Public Speaking as Advocacy" is a contemporary, interdisciplinary public speaking textbook that fuses rhetoric, critical/cultural studies, and performance to offer an up-to-date resource for students. With a focus on advocacy, this textbook invites students to consider public speaking as a political, purposeful form of information-sharing
New species of redbait from the Philippines (Teleostei, Emmelichthyidae, )
No full textDito pinakita namin ang isang kakaibang isda na may Tagalog name na Rebentador pula at English name na Redbait na kabilang sa genus na nakuha sa mga pamilihan ng isda sa isla ng Panay at Cebu sa Visayas, Philippines. Ang isdang ito ay may panglabas na anyo kamukha ng pero naiba ito dahil meron itong dalawa (2) prominenteng fleshy papillae na parte ng cleithrum, may mas konting pectoral-fin rays na may bilang na 18–19 at gill rakers na may bilang na 30–33. Iniiba ng mitochondrial DNA ang taxon na ito mula sa iba pang mga species ng . Binuo, sinuri at kinumpara namin ang mitochondrial genomes ng dalawang type specimens ng kakaibang isda at iba pang isda na kabilang sa emmelichthyids para malaman kung bago nga ba ito. Lumabas sa pagsusuri, gamit ang lahat ng protein-coding mitochondrial loci, na bago nga ang kakaibang isda. Pero napag-alaman din na mukhang isang grupo lang at malapit na mag kamag-anak ang 2 genus ( and ) na kasama sa Family Emmelichthyidae kung kaya’t kailangan pa ang ibayong pagsusri sa pagkakakilanlan ng nasabing 2 genus
An evaluation of the ecological niche of Orf virus (Poxviridae): Challenges of distinguishing broad niches from no niches
No full textContagious ecthyma is a skin disease, caused by Orf virus, creating great economic threats to livestock farming worldwide. Zoonotic potential of this disease has gained recent attention owing to the re-emergence of disease in several parts of the world. Increased public health concern emphasizes the need for a predictive understanding of the geographic distributional potential of Orf virus. Here, we mapped the current distribution using occurrence records, and estimated the ecological niche in both geographical and environmental spaces. Twenty modeling experiments, resulting from two- and three-partition models, were performed to choose the candidate models that best represent the geographic distributional potential of Orf virus. For all of our models, it was possible to reject the null hypothesis of predictive performance no better than random expectations. However, statistical significance must be accompanied by sufficiently good predictive performance if a model is to be useful. In our case, omission of known distribution of the virus was noticed in all Maxent models, indicating inferior quality of our models. This conclusion was further confirmed by the independent final evaluation, using occurrence records sourced from the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International. Minimum volume ellipsoid (MVE) models indicated the broad range of environmental conditions under which Orf virus infections are found. The excluded climatic conditions from MVEs could not be considered as unsuitable owing to the broad distribution of Orf virus. These results suggest two possibilities: that the niche models fail to identify niche limits that constrain the virus, or that the virus has no detectable niche, as it can be found throughout the geographic distributions of its hosts. This potential limitation of component-based pathogen-only ENMs is discussed in detail