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Unveiling the Interactions Between the Antibiotic Resistome and Microplastics Influenced by Trace Elements and PPCPs in Wastewater Treatment Plants
No full textAntibiotic resistance is a growing global concern, and wastewater treatment plants play a critical role in controlling its spread. These facilities process water containing microplastics (small plastic particles), trace elements like copper and zinc, and chemicals from everyday products like pharmaceuticals and personal care products. Together, these pollutants may contribute to the survival and spread of bacteria containing antibiotic resistance genes, but their combined effects are not fully understood. This study investigated how these pollutants behave and interact in wastewater treatment plants using two approaches: direct monitoring of real treatment plants and controlled lab experiments using synthetic wastewater. Results showed that although most pollutants were significantly reduced during wastewater treatment, some antibiotic resistance genes remained in the treated water, about 41.8 million copies per milliliter. Mobile genetic elements that spread resistance between bacteria were still present in large numbers. Microplastic levels dropped sharply from over 8,600 particles per liter to just 24 particles per liter, but were not completely removed. Analysis revealed that microplastics were the strongest direct drivers of antibiotic resistance gene abundance, while pharmaceuticals and personal care products and trace metals exerted indirect effects through their influence on microplastics and microbial communities. Laboratory tests confirmed that microplastics act as platforms for collecting high amounts of resistance genes and mobile genetic elements, with significantly higher levels compared to control surfaces. Plastic type had minimal impact on resistance gene abundance. However, exposure to copper, a common trace element, had mixed effects: it increased some resistance genes while reducing others. In contrast, pharmaceuticals and personal care products at typical environmental levels showed no significant effects during laboratory experiments. Overall, the study demonstrates that microplastics primarily function as physical surfaces that support higher bacterial density and promote antibiotic resistance. These findings highlight the complex ways in which pollutants interact to shape antibiotic resistance patterns in wastewater, emphasizing the need for more research and improved treatment strategies to protect public health
Deutscher Patriotismus?: Lesson Plan for Exploring German Patriotism
No full textObjectives: Compare and contrast the differences in expressing patriotism between the US and Germany Introduction to the involvement soccer has in Germany’s culture, even for non-soccer fan
Exploring Biostimulant Efficacy for Onion Cultivation Under Limited Water and Nitrogen in Utah
No full textThis fact sheet provides information on using biostimulants to address the challenges of growing onions in Utah\u27s semi-arid climate. It covers the role of biostimulants, Utah State University Extension case studies in Utah, harvest, and provides suggestions to mitigate nitrogen and water stress in onion production
The Mystery of Baselevel Controls in the Incision History of the Central Colorado Plateau
No full textErosion can remain active and changing in landscapes long after tectonic drivers have ceased, potentially due to local‐geologic controls, climate changes, or geodynamics. We present new fluvial incision‐ rate histories and terrain analyses of the Colorado River system through the central Colorado Plateau to understand what has caused the variable erosion across this post‐orogenic landscape. Results from new cosmogenic and luminescence dating of fluvial terrace and upland gravel deposits in Glen and Meander Canyons establish incision‐rate histories that are marked by an Early‐Middle Pleistocene erosion hiatus, followed by ∼200 m of rapid incision over the last ∼350 kyr. Projection of fluvial topography from above knickzones of the Colorado River drainage system roughly agree with the observed magnitude of recent incision and reflect a common baselevel fall from Pliocene river integration through Grand Canyon, which is still propagating through the drainage. A response‐time model indicates that baselevel fall from integration likely took 2–4 Myr to reach the central Colorado Plateau and 100s kyr to travel across the study area, potentially accounting for incision rate changes in the fluvial terrace records of Meander and Glen Canyons. The upstream‐ migrating incision has likely been partitioned into multiple waves across the landscape due to the local geologic controls of lava damming, salt tectonics, and heterogenous bedrock. As baselevel fall from Pliocene Colorado River integration diffuses upstream, it can only account for perhaps a quarter of the total ∼2 km of exhumation in the central Colorado Plateau, demanding an unknown driver for significant erosion in the Pliocene
Earth Orbital Rhythms Links Timing of Deccan Trap Volcanism Phases and Global Climate Change
No full textAt the end of the Cretaceous, the massive Deccan trap (DT) volcanic eruptions are regarded as the primary driver of global climate deterioration. Accurate age models are key to unravel the sequence of events related to DT volcanism onset and effects on the global climate system. We establish a direct geochemical link between DT volcanism as recorded in marine osmium isotopic data and global climate change documented in benthic foraminifera carbon and oxygen isotope records. Based on our state-of-the-art astronomically calibrated age model, two major shifts in marine 187Os/188Os at 66.49 and 66.28 million years ago are contemporaneous with major eruption phases of the DT and disruptions of the global carbon cycle. Geochemical records and modeling suggest larger erupted volumes with high volatile emissions for the early phase of DT volcanism and point to differing emissions of SO2 and CO2 during the observed marine osmium shifts with diverse effects on the global climate system
Dynamic Riskscapes for Prey: Disentangling the Impact of Human and Cougar Presence on Deer Behavior Using GPS Smartphone Locations
No full textPrey species adjust their behavior along human-use gradients by balancing risks from predators and humans. During hunting seasons, prey often exhibit strong antipredator responses to humans but may develop tolerance in suburban areas to exploit human-mediated resources. Additionally, areas with high human activity may offer reduced predation risk if apex predators avoid such locations. This study examined mule deer Odocoileus hemionus behavioral responses to risks from humans and their primary predators, cougars Puma concolor, contextualized by differences in risk levels between study sites, individual risk exposure, and human habituation. We framed our investigation using three non-mutually exclusive hypotheses: (H1) neutral impact, (H2) human shielding (human tolerance driven by cougar avoidance), and (H3) super-additive risk (human avoidance dominating behavior). We controlled for deer phenology and diel period, recognizing that deer behavior varies with these temporal dynamics. Spatiotemporal cougar encounter risk was quantified using GPS collar data, while spatiotemporal human encounter risk and use intensity were quantified using GPS smartphone data. Our results supported H2 and H3, emphasizing the significance of site- and individual-level variation in risk exposure and human use intensity. Deer managed cougar risk adaptively, but humans emerged as the dominant perceived risk, varying by study site. At the site with higher cougar density and lower human hunting pressure, deer exhibited antipredator responses to humans based on individual exposure to human activity, except during hunting season, when tolerance for cougars increased. Conversely, humans were the dominant risk at the site with lower cougar density and greater human hunting pressure. Deer behavior varied significantly across a gradient of human use, influenced by nuanced human presence and predation risks, which were discernible using human smartphone data
From Policy to Practice in Deaf Education: American Sign Language and Spoken English Outcomes of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children in Kansas
No full textPurpose: In the context of the recent expectation for state Early Hearing Detection and Intervention programs to track language milestones of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children, we examine how to leverage statewide assessment programs for improving language outcomes of DHH children. We present the degree to which DHH children in Kansas are meeting their language milestones for American Sign Language (ASL) and English and the influence of two measurement features.
Method: Performance on the ASL/English Language Milestones for 198 children who were DHH (aged 1 to 8) was analyzed for attainment of age-expected language skills and language quotient scores for ASL and English using varying mastery criteria.
Results: A small proportion of participants exhibited age-expected language skills (i.e., 20 of 198 for either language, 5 of 102 for ASL, and 16 of 170 for English). Participants exhibited ASL and English skills expected at about half of their chronological age, on average, with large variation across participants. Inclusion of DHH children with additional disabilities and less stringent mastery criterion (i.e., 80% versus 100%) had limited influence on the outcomes.
Conclusions: Continued efforts are needed to leverage state assessment results strategically to inform policy decisions and to guide research and educational practices to improve language outcomes
Coaching Graduate Students Through Early Childhood Focused Community-Engaged Learning: Graduate Student Perspectives and Course Design
No full textAccess the online Pressbooks version of this introduction here.
Community-engaged learning (CEL) in graduate-level coursework contributes to professional development and growth. CEL course design requires intentional and time-intensive planning. A graduate-level child development course was designed for CEL using the following process: needs assessment, training for community education, preparing materials, practicing with feedback, presenting to an authentic audience, and reflection on the experience. Students created presentations for authentic parent audiences based on a needs assessment of parent interest in child development topics. Reflections from four students in the course were analyzed using a general thematic analysis technique. Three themes emerged. Students experienced individual growth, students reported community connection from preparing materials for an authentic audience, and students reflected on the importance of peer and mentor support
Academic Standards Subcommittee Agenda December 18, 2025
No full textWelcome and approval of November 20, 2025 minutes New Topics: Proposal for Academic Grievance Policy rewrite Proposal to add Bachelor of Applied Sciences (BAS) academic degree requirements Information item: Attendance and Excused Absences policy clarificatio
Curriculum Subcommittee Agenda December 4, 2025
No full textApproval of Minutes - November 6, 2025 R401 - Program Proposals Other Business Catalog Updates CIP Codes Adjourn 3:00 p