Workstation environment for wastewater treatment design using AI and mathematical models

This research explores the use of computer-based environments to facilitate environmental engineering decision making. A prototype system is developed for wastewater treatment plant design as an exploration tool to demonstrate the techniques and principles proposed. Several mathematical techniques, interactive graphic displays, and friendly user interfaces are used. The mathematical techniques are: (1) mass and water balances for an analysis program for wastewater treatment plant design, (2) a rule-based system for sludge bulking judgment, and (3) a standard processor for checking a design against existing design standards. The interactive graphic displays provide visual data for effective data manipulation, and the friendly user interfaces are designed for engineers who are not necessarily computer experts.U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological SurveyOpe

Unsupervised system to classify SO2 pollutant concentrations in Salamanca, Mexico

Salamanca is cataloged as one of the most polluted cities in Mexico. In order to observe the behavior and clarify the influence of wind parameters on the Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) concentrations a Self-Organizing Maps (SOM) Neural Network have been implemented at three monitoring locations for the period from January 1 to December 31, 2006. The maximum and minimum daily values of SO2 concentrations measured during the year of 2006 were correlated with the wind parameters of the same period. The main advantages of the SOM Neural Network is that it allows to integrate data from different sensors and provide readily interpretation results. Especially, it is powerful mapping and classification tool, which others information in an easier way and facilitates the task of establishing an order of priority between the distinguished groups of concentrations depending on their need for further research or remediation actions in subsequent management steps. For each monitoring location, SOM classifications were evaluated with respect to pollution levels established by Health Authorities. The classification system can help to establish a better air quality monitoring methodology that is essential for assessing the effectiveness of imposed pollution controls, strategies, and facilitate the pollutants reduction

Computer-aided systems for environmental engineering decision-making

This research explores the use of computer-based environments to facilitate environmental engineering decision-making. Two prototype systems are developed as exploration tools and to demonstrate the techniques and principles proposed. Several mathematical techniques, a modeling language, interactive graphic displays and friendly user interfaces are used. The mathematical techniques are: (1) linear programming, (2) a finite element method for a groundwater simulation model, (3) mass and water balances for an analysis program for wastewater treatment plant design, (4) the Vector Method to obtain the exact noninferior set of a multicriterion problem, and (5) the Modeling-to-Generate-Alternatives (MGA) approach for generating potential alternatives for a decision-making problem. The modeling language is designed to relieve the analyst of the burden of formatting a general mathematical model for solution using existing mathematical programming packages. The interactive graphic displays provide visual data for effective comparisons, and the friendly user interfaces are designed for engineers who are not necessarily computer experts. The two computer aided systems are for wastewater treatment plant design and groundwater resources management.U of I OnlyETDs are only available to UIUC Users without author permissio

Effective solar radiation based benefit and cost analyses for solar water heater development

a b s t r a c t To reduce greenhouse gases emissions, promoting solar water heaters (SWHs) has become an essential national policy in Taiwan. To implement this policy effectively, the applicability of SWHs in different regions must be analyzed. Previous studies generally performed SWH benefit-cost analyses based on total annual solar radiation; however, this method may overestimate energy production benefits because, for an SWH, the solar energy captured today cannot be preserved. Therefore, this study proposes the concept of effective solar radiation (ESR), which is based on potential heat output estimated using tap water temperature and solar radiation in each region. The benefits of SWHs are then assessed based on the number of effective days and ESR, instead of using total annual solar radiation. A procedure is established to evaluate the applicability of SWHs in each region based on proposed benefit-cost analyses. Possible outcomes of a national SWH program are estimated. The sensitivities of essential factors, including collector efficiency, installation cost, and discount rate, are also analyzed. Analytical results show that the ratios of ESR to total annual solar radiation for regions in Taiwan are about 82-89%. The payback periods vary at 6-15 years for different regions and heater types being replaced. The national program is expected to reduce greenhouse gases emissions by approximately 150,000 tons eCO 2 annually

Selective Inhibition of Prostasin in Human Enterocytes by the Integral Membrane Kunitz-Type Serine Protease Inhibitor HAI-2.

Mutations of hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor (HAI)-2 in humans cause sodium loss in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract in patients with syndromic congenital sodium diarrhea (SCSD). Aberrant regulation of HAI-2 target protease(s) was proposed as the cause of the disease. Here functional linkage of HAI-2 with two membrane-associated serine proteases, matriptase and prostasin was analyzed in Caco-2 cells and the human GI tract. Immunodepletion-immunoblot analysis showed that significant proportion of HAI-2 is in complex with activated prostasin but not matriptase. Unexpectedly, prostasin is expressed predominantly in activated forms and was also detected in complex with HAI-1, a Kunitz inhibitor highly related to HAI-2. Immunohistochemistry showed a similar tissue distribution of prostasin and HAI-2 immunoreactivity with the most intense labeling near the brush borders of villus epithelial cells. In contrast, matriptase was detected primarily at the lateral plasma membrane, where HAI-1 was also detected. The tissue distribution profiles of immunoreactivity against these proteins, when paired with the species detected suggests that prostasin is under tight control by both HAI-1 and HAI-2 and matriptase by HAI-1 in human enterocytes. Furthermore, HAI-1 is a general inhibitor of prostasin in a variety of epithelial cells. In contrast, HAI-2 was not found to be a significant inhibitor for prostasin in mammary epithelial cells or keratinocytes. The high levels of constitutive prostasin zymogen activation and the selective prostasin inhibition by HAI-2 in enterocytes suggest that dysregulated prostasin proteolysis may be particularly important in the GI tract when HAI-2 function is lost and/or dysregulated

N-Glycan Branching Affects the Subcellular Distribution of and Inhibition of Matriptase by HAI-2/Placental Bikunin.

The gene product of SPINT 2, that encodes a transmembrane, Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitor independently designated as HAI-2 or placenta bikunin (PB), is involved in regulation of sodium absorption in human gastrointestinal track. Here, we show that SPINT 2 is expressed as two species of different size (30-40- versus 25-kDa) due to different N-glycans on Asn-57. The N-glycan on 25-kDa HAI-2 appears to be of the oligomannose type and that on 30-40-kDa HAI-2 to be of complex type with extensive terminal N-acetylglucosamine branching. The two different types of N-glycan differentially mask two epitopes on HAI-2 polypeptide, recognized by two different HAI-2 mAbs. The 30-40-kDa form may be mature HAI-2, and is primarily localized in vesicles/granules. The 25-kDa form is likely immature HAI-2, that remains in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in the perinuclear regions of mammary epithelial cells. The two different N-glycans could, therefore, represent different maturation stages of N-glycosylation with the 25-kDa likely a precursor of the 30-40-kDa HAI-2, with the ratio of their levels roughly similar among a variety of cells. In breast cancer cells, a significant amount of the 30-40-kDa HAI-2 can translocate to and inhibit matriptase on the cell surface, followed by shedding of the matriptase-HAI-2 complex. The 25-kDa HAI-2 appears to have also exited the ER/Golgi, being localized at the cytoplasmic face of the plasma membrane of breast cancer cells. While the 25-kDa HAI-2 was also detected at the extracellular face of plasma membrane at very low levels it appears to have no role in matriptase inhibition probably due to its paucity on the cell surface. Our study reveals that N-glycan branching regulates HAI-2 through different subcellular distribution and subsequently access to different target proteases

HAI-1 and HAI-2 complexes in human milk.

<p>(A) Defatted human milk was loaded onto a CM-Sepharose column and the unbound fraction (UB) was collected. The milk (lanes 1) and the unbound fraction (lanes 2) were analyzed by immunoblot for HAI-1, HAI-2, and matriptase (MTP), as indicated. (B) Flow-chart summarizing the purification scheme for the HAI-1 and HAI-2 complexes in human milk. (C) Fractions 12 through 34 eluted from the CM-Sepharose chromatography were analyzed by Western blot for HAI-2. (D) The pooled HAI-2 containing fractions eluted from the CM-Sepharose were subjected to immunoaffinity chromatography on a HAI-1 mAb M19-Sepharose column followed by a HAI-2 mAb DC16-Sepharos column. Fractions 1 through 4 eluted from the mAb DC16-Sepharose were analyzed by Western blot for HAI-2 species (left panel). The pooled HAI-2 containing fractions were analyzed by immunoblot for matriptase species under non-boiled (lane 1) and boiled (lane 2) conditions (right panel).</p

A schematic illustration for putative roles of matriptase and prostasin in lactating mammary gland.

<p>A schematic illustration for putative roles of matriptase and prostasin in lactating mammary gland.</p

Analysis of prostasin, matriptase, HAI-1 and HAI-2 species expressed by human mammary epithelial cells.

<p>Lysates prepared from MTSV 1.7 milk-derived human mammary epithelial cells were analyzed by immunoblot for prostasin (Pros.), HAI-1, matriptase (MTP), and HAI-2 containing species before (lanes CL) and after (lanes HAI-1-D) immunodepletion of HAI-1 species from the lysates using HAI-1 mAb M19-Sepharose.</p

Characterization of prostasin monoclonal antibodies.

<p>Three prostasin monoclonal antibodies were generated using purified prostasin-HAI-1 complex as the antigen. The proteins eluted from HAI-1 mAb M19-Sepharose (A.) or HAI-2 mAb DC16-Sepharose (B.) immunoaffinity columns were analyzed by immunoblot using the three prostasin mAbs, YL11, YL10, and YL89 under non-boiled, non-reducing conditions (lanes 1) or boiled, non-reducing conditions (lanes 2).</p