Wastewater Characterization and Treatability for anEastern Coal Slurry

A complete wastewater characterization study was performed on an eastern Kentucky coal slurry after a 10-day circulation period in a 40 foot (12.2 m) pilot-scale pipeline. The resulting wastewater was settled and decanted for additional lime and alum treatability studies. Easter coal slurries were characterized by high TDS, conductivity, sulfates and iron. Significant concentrations of a number of trace metals were also found; however, organics were very low. Wastewater quality varied considerably among several experiments and was presumed to be influenced by different properties of the coal and the addition of a corrosion inhibitor. The major treatment concern was removal of high concentrations of iron, manganese, and trace metals if wastewaters were to be discharged. Lime treatment was found to effectively remove iron, magnesium, manganese and many other trace metals from coal slurry wastewaters. Alum treatment methods were considerably less effective for metals removal; however, alum was more effective in removing organics, color and turbidity. The addition of a corrosion inhibitor was found to reduce treatment removals for both lime and alum treatment. Several alternative uses were proposed for slurry wastewaters based on predicted water quality and volumes

Supporting High-Achieving Students After Enrolment: Learning from a Qualitative Evaluation of a High Achievers Recognition Scheme

This article presents findings from a small-scale qualitative study of student perceptions of a High Achievers’ Recognition Scheme in a faculty within a UK university. This scheme is unusual in UK higher education in that it provides tailored support and development for students who have been identified as high-achievers. The findings suggest students valued both the recognition and developmental aspects of the scheme and their perceptions of the benefits aligned with the scheme’s aims: enhanced personal and professional development, improved engagement, and raised aspirations. Social and individual factors were perceived to enable high-achievement, whilst some operational factors could hinder engagement with the scheme. The findings are relevant to wider understandings of approaches to support high-achieving students; an area where, currently, there is little published research from the UK. We conclude with reflections on possible ways to build support for high-achieving students through focusing on identity, agency, and community

Ocean Sustainability

Oceans cover over 70% of the Earth’s surface area. They provide more than 90% of the world’s oxygen production, account for 200 billion pounds of food each year, regulate the global climate, and are the primary mode of global shipping traffic (“www.marinebio.org”). With such social, economic, and environmental value, there is a clear need to enact sustainable policies and practices concerning marine zones

Nutrition in Medical Education: Where do we stand and what needs to be explored?

Introduction: Dietary interventions and nutrition care improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs. Despite status as a necessary topic in medical school education, many U.S. medical schools do not adequately prepare future physicians for everyday nutritional challenges in clinical practice. There is immense research behind the necessity of nutrition education but little concerning the methods of implementing this change. The purpose of this work was to review the current innovations of nutrition curriculum in the literature and discuss future directions for our medical school. Method: A systematic search of scientific literature databases was performed to examine existing literature about the current state of nutrition curriculum and identify current methods of improving nutrition curriculum. A database search of the undergraduate GW SMHS curricula helped us map where nutrition is currently taught and look into ways to expand and integrate it. Results: Shortcomings in sufficient nutrition education result from lack of proficient faculty, low funding, and lack of established core curricula with guidelines and protocols. Additionally, international medical schools have recognized their deficiency in nutrition education compared to U.S. standards. U.S. institutions making headway in new nutrition education programs include The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Boston University School of Medicine, Southern Illinois School of Medicine, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine, and various institutions introducing “culinary medicine”. Successful nutrition integration should be spread longitudinally across all years with an emphasis on active-learning techniques over rote memorization. Creativity, chief support, an established taskforce, trained faculty, and evaluation methods are essential tools to enhance medical curriculum. Looking at GW SMHS curricula, nutrition is concentrated in the Pre-Clinical years with very little emphasis in the Clinical years, a common trend across most medical schools. Medical students may be more confident incorporating nutrition into patient care if nutrition were spread proportionally across all years to combine basic foundations with clinical application. Conclusion: Expanding nutrition curriculum at The George Washington University School of Medicine could involve utilizing the Nutrition in Medicine project developed by The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill or bringing in internationally renowned chef José Andrés to expand on his previous culinary courses and incorporate nutrition fundamentals into the medical curriculum. Future directions need to evaluate existing programs, current initiatives, and their effectiveness in order to be able to improve programs across the continuum

Rumen cellulosomics : divergent fiber-degrading strategies revealed by comparative genome-wide analysis of six ruminococcal strains

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Active involved community partnerships: co-creating implementation infrastructure for getting to and sustaining social impact

Active involved community partnerships (AICPs) are essential to co-create implementation infrastructure and translate evidence into real-world practice. Across varied forms, AICPs cultivate community and tribal members as agents of change, blending research and organizational knowledge with relationships, context, culture, and local wisdom. Unlike selective engagement, AICPs enable active involvement of partners in the ongoing process of implementation and sustainability. This includes defining the problem, developing solutions, detecting practice changes, aligning organizational supports, and nurturing shared responsibility, accountability, and ownership for implementation. This paper builds on previously established active implementation and scaling functions by outlining key AICP functions to close the research-practice gap. Part of a federal initiative, California Partners for Permanency (CAPP) integrated AICP functions for implementation and system change to reduce disproportionality and disparities in long-term foster care. This paper outlines their experience defining and embedding five AICP functions: (1) relationship-building; (2) addressing system barriers; (3) establishing culturally relevant supports and services; (4) meaningful involvement in implementation; and (5) ongoing communication and feedback for continuous improvement. Planning for social impact requires the integration of AICP with other active implementation and scaling functions. Through concrete examples, authors bring multilevel AICP roles to life and discuss implications for implementation research and practice

Microbial Monitoring from the Frontlines to Space: Department of Defense Small Business Innovation Research Technology Aboard the International Space Station

The RAZOR (trademark) EX, a quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) instrument, is a portable, ruggedized unit that was designed for the Department of Defense (DoD) with its reagent chemistries traceable to a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract beginning in 2002. The PCR instrument's primary function post 9/11 was to enable frontline soldiers and first responders to detect biological threat agents and bioterrorism activities in remote locations to include field environments. With its success for DoD, the instrument has also been employed by other governmental agencies including Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The RAZOR (Trademark) EX underwent stringent testing by the vendor, as well as through the DoD, and was certified in 2005. In addition, the RAZOR (trademark) EX passed DHS security sponsored Stakeholder Panel on Agent Detection Assays (SPADA) rigorous evaluation in 2011. The identification and quantitation of microbial pathogens is necessary both on the ground as well as during spaceflight to maintain the health of astronauts and to prevent biofouling of equipment. Currently, culture-based monitoring technology has been adequate for short-term spaceflight missions but may not be robust enough to meet the requirements for long-duration missions. During a NASA-sponsored workshop in 2011, it was determined that the more traditional culture-based method should be replaced or supplemented with more robust technologies. NASA scientists began investigating innovative molecular technologies for future space exploration and as a result, PCR was recommended. Shortly after, NASA sponsored market research in 2012 to identify and review current, commercial, cutting edge PCR technologies for potential applicability to spaceflight operations. Scientists identified and extensively evaluated three candidate technologies with the potential to function in microgravity. After a thorough voice-of-the-customer trade study and extensive functional and safety evaluations, the RAZOR (trademark) EX PCR instrument(Bio-Fire Defense, Salt Lake City, UT) was selected as the most promising current technology for spaceflight monitoring applications

Metabolomic Profiling in LRRK2-Related Parkinson's Disease

Mutations in LRRK2 gene represent the most common known genetic cause of Parkinson's disease (PD).We used metabolomic profiling to identify biomarkers that are associated with idiopathic and LRRK2 PD. We compared plasma metabolomic profiles of patients with PD due to the G2019S LRRK2 mutation, to asymptomatic family members of these patients either with or without G2019S LRRK2 mutations, and to patients with idiopathic PD, as well as non-related control subjects. We found that metabolomic profiles of both idiopathic PD and LRRK2 PD subjects were clearly separated from controls. LRRK2 PD patients had metabolomic profiles distinguishable from those with idiopathic PD, and the profiles could predict whether the PD was secondary to LRRK2 mutations or idiopathic. Metabolomic profiles of LRRK2 PD patients were well separated from their family members, but there was a slight overlap between family members with and without LRRK2 mutations. Both LRRK2 and idiopathic PD patients showed significantly reduced uric acid levels. We also found a significant decrease in levels of hypoxanthine and in the ratios of major metabolites of the purine pathway in plasma of PD patients.These findings show that LRRK2 patients with the G2019S mutation have unique metabolomic profiles that distinguish them from patients with idiopathic PD. Furthermore, asymptomatic LRRK2 carriers can be separated from gene negative family members, which raises the possibility that metabolomic profiles could be useful in predicting which LRRK2 carriers will eventually develop PD. The results also suggest that there are aberrations in the purine pathway in PD which may occur upstream from uric acid