Increased Antimicrobial and Multidrug Resistance Downstream of Wastewater Treatment Plants in an Urban Watershed

Development and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and multidrug resistance (MDR) through propagation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) in various environments is a global emerging public health concern. The role of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) as hot spots for the dissemination of AMR and MDR has been widely pointed out by the scientific community. In this study, we collected surface water samples from sites upstream and downstream of two WWTP discharge points in an urban watershed in the Bryan-College Station (BCS), Texas area, over a period of nine months. E. coli isolates were tested for resistance to ampicillin, tetracycline, sulfamethoxazole, ciprofloxacin, cephalothin, cefoperazone, gentamycin, and imipenem using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Antimicrobial resistant heterotrophic bacteria were cultured on R2A media amended with ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, and sulfamethoxazole for analyzing heterotrophic bacteria capable of growth on antibiotic-containing media. In addition, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method was used to measure eight ARG – tetA, tetW, aacA, ampC, mecA, ermA, blaTEM, and intI1 in the surface water collected at each time point. Significant associations (p \u3c 0.05) were observed between the locations of sampling sites relative to WWTP discharge points and the rate of E. coli isolate resistance to tetracycline, ampicillin, cefoperazone, ciprofloxacin, and sulfamethoxazole together with an increased rate of isolate MDR. The abundance of antibiotic-resistant heterotrophs was significantly greater (p \u3c 0.05) downstream of WWTPs compared to upstream locations for all tested antibiotics. Consistent with the results from the culture-based methods, the concentrations of all ARG were substantially higher in the downstream sites compared to the upstream sites, particularly in the site immediately downstream of the WWTP effluent discharges (except mecA). In addition, the Class I integron (intI1) genes were detected in high amounts at all sites and all sampling points, and were about ∼20 times higher in the downstream sites (2.5 × 107 copies/100 mL surface water) compared to the upstream sites (1.2 × 106 copies/100 mL surface water). Results suggest that the treated WWTP effluent discharges into surface waters can potentially contribute to the occurrence and prevalence of AMR in urban watersheds. In addition to detecting increased ARG in the downstream sites by qPCR, findings from this study also report an increase in viable AMR (HPC) and MDR (E. coli) in these sites. This data will benefit establishment of improved environmental regulations and practices to help manage AMR/MDR and ARG discharges into the environment, and to develop mitigation strategies and effective treatment of wastewater

Corrosion and wear protection of AISI 4140 carbon steel using a laser-modified high-velocity oxygen fuel thermal sprayed coatings

Inconel and micro and nano WC-12Co powders were deposited on AISI 4140 carbon steel by high-velocity oxy fuel (HVOF) coating and followed by laser surface modification. Laser power and scan speed were varied at different levels. Microstructure and microhardness were investigated. Nanocoatings performed better than microcoatings. Nanostructured WC powder coatings exhibited greater hardness compared to microstructured powder coating. When the laser power is increased to 170 W, a small cellular dendrite microstructure through multiphase solidification is formed due to the difference in thermal properties of Inconel 625 and WC particles. Adequate laser power and low scan speed were preferred to produce a high-quality coating. From the electrochemical corrosion test results, it was observed that the corrosion rate of laser-modified HVOF sprayed coating is lower than the carbon steel sample. This shows that the Inconel sprayed by laser-modified HVOF coating enhanced the corrosion resistance of the substrate steel material. The porosity percentage was higher for all the samples when laser scan speed was increased

Hydrological Modeling of Highly Glacierized Basins (Andes, Alps, and Central Asia)

The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to simulate five glacierized river basins that are global in coverage and vary in climate. The river basins included the Narayani (Nepal), Vakhsh (Central Asia), Rhone (Switzerland), Mendoza (Central Andes, Argentina), and Central Dry Andes (Chile), with a total area of 85,000 km2. A modified SWAT snow algorithm was applied in order to consider spatial variation of associated snowmelt/accumulation by elevation band across each subbasin. In previous studies, melt rates varied as a function of elevation because of an air temperature gradient while the snow parameters were constant throughout the entire basin. A major improvement of the new snow algorithm is the separation of the glaciers from seasonal snow based on their characteristics. Two SWAT snow algorithms were evaluated in simulation of monthly runoff from the glaciered watersheds: (1) the snow parameters are lumped (constant throughout the entire basin) and (2) the snow parameters are spatially variable based on elevation bands of a subbasin (modified snow algorithm). Applying the distributed SWAT snow algorithm improved the model performance in simulation of monthly runoff with snow-glacial regime, so that mean RSR decreased to 0.49 from 0.55 and NSE increased to 0.75 from 0.69. Improvement of model performance was negligible in simulations of monthly runoff from the basins with a monsoon runoff regime

Experimental and Modeling Studies on Fate and Transport of Petroleum Contaminants in Soils with Plants

Doctor of PhilosophyDepartment of Biological & Agricultural EngineeringLarry E. EricksonKyle R. MankinThe US Air Force uses JP-8, a kerosene-based jet fuel, to run turbine engines. Billions of gallons are used each year and even small percent losses of JP-8 leaking from aboveground and underground storage tanks to soil and groundwater aquifers pose a potential threat to drinking water. The biotic fate processes of JP-8 in soils will help determine the bioremediation potential of JP-8 from accidental spills and leakages. Many US Army training reservations contain vehicle wash facilities where combat and other types of equipment are washed after field maneuvers. During this process, sediments containing petroleum hydrocarbons accumulate in sedimentation basins. A vegetative treatment system could be an inexpensive approach to treat these washwater sediments. Experiments were conducted to differentiate between abiotic and biotic removal of JP-8 in soils with plants. Also, the effect of plant-induced water movement on the fate and transport of JP-8 in the subsurface was determined. Almost 86% of JP-8 disappeared in five months in the simulated surface spill experiments. The losses were not just due to volatilization but also due to biodegradation. The reduction in JP-8 concentration in planted soil systems where subsurface leakages were simulated was only 50% after twelve months. This shows that JP-8 leakages that occur near the groundwater table could persist for longer duration than those that occur near the soil surface. Downward movement of JP-8 was higher in unplanted soil columns compared to columns with plants. A one-dimensional mathematical model was developed to simulate advective transport, retardation, and first-order decay of soluble fractions of JP-8 in soil columns. An inexpensive vegetation treatment system was established to treat sediments from Central Vehicle Wash Facility (CVWF) at Fort Riley, KS. The overall reduction in total petroleum hydrocarbon concentration was about 75%; however, significant differences among treatments were not found until 36 months. Sufficient reduction of petroleum hydrocarbons was obtained in fertilized soil with or without vegetation

Regional Water Stress Forecasting: Effects of Climate Change, Socioeconomic Development, and Irrigated Agriculture—A Texas Case Study

Climate change, socioeconomic development, and irrigation management are exacerbating water scarcity in many regions worldwide. However, current global-scale modeling approaches used to evaluate the impact of these factors on water resources are limited by coarse resolution and simplified representation of local socioeconomic and agricultural systems, which hinders their use for regional decision making. Here, we upgraded the irrigation water use simulation in the system dynamics and water environmental model (SyDWEM) and integrated it with the water supply stress index (WaSSI) ecosystem services model. This integrated model (SyDWEM-WaSSI) simulated local socioeconomic and agricultural systems to accurately assess future water stress associated with climate change, socioeconomic development, and agricultural management at subbasin levels. We calibrated the integrated model and applied it to assess future water stress levels in Texas from 2015 to 2050. The water stress index (WSI), defined as the ratio of water withdrawal to availability, was used to indicate different water stress levels. Our results showed that the integrated model captured changes in water demand across various sectors and the impact of climate change on water supply. Projected high water stress areas (WSI > 0.4) are expected to increase significantly by 2050, particularly in the Texas High Plains and Rolling Plains regions, where irrigation water use was projected to rise due to the impact of climate change. Metropolitan areas, including Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio, were also expected to experience increased domestic water demand, further exacerbating water stress in these areas. Our study highlights the need to incorporate socioeconomic planning into water resources management. The integrated model is a valuable tool for decisionmakers and stakeholders to evaluate the impacts of climate change, socioeconomic development, and irrigation management on water resources at the local scale

A Unified MAC Layer Framework for Ad Hoc Networks With Smart Antennas

Smart antennas represent a broad variety of antennas that differ in their performance and transceiver complexity. The superior capabilities of smart antennas, however, can be leveraged only through appropriately designed higher layer network protocols, including at the medium access control (MAC) layer. Although several related works have considered such tailored protocols, they do so in the context of specific antenna technologies. In this paper, we explore the possibility for a unified approach to medium access control in ad-hoc networks with smart antennas. We first present a unified representation of the PHY layer capabilities of the different types of smart antennas, and their relevance to MAC layer design. We then define a unified MAC problem formulation, and derive unified MAC algorithms from the formulation. Finally, using the algorithms developed, we investigate the relative performance trade-offs of the different technologies under varying network conditions

On the Use of Smart Antennas in Multi-Hop Wireless Networks

Smart antennas include a broad range of antenna technologies ranging from the simple switched beam to the more sophisticated adaptive arrays and multiple input multiple output (MIMO) links. Their ability to exploit multiple degrees of freedom helps them operate in different strategies to achieve different objectives ranging from rate increase, range increase, transmission power reduction, and higher link reliability. While these antennas have been significantly researched at the PHY layer leading to results that are easily translatable to single-hop wireless networks, very little is understood about their use in multi-hop wireless ad-hoc networks. Specific unanswered questions in this context include: (i) what kind of performance improvements can the different technologies and their strategies provide? (ii) for each technology, which of the different possible strategies is the optimal strategy to employ for a given network condition? and (iii) for a given network setting, which of the different smart antenna technologies will deliver the best performance? In this paper, we systematically answer these questions by comprehensively evaluating the relative benefits of the different smart antenna technologies. 1

On multi-gateway association in wireless mesh networks

Abstract — Most traditional models of wireless mesh networks involve a mobile device connecting to the backbone through one of the available gateways in a wireless mesh network. In this paper, we present an alternate model, in which mobile devices are allowed to connect through more than one of the available gateways. We call the model Multi-Gateway Association (MGA). We present arguments for why such a model can result in better capacity, fairness, diversity and security when compared to the default single-association model. We also identify the primary challenges that need to be addressed when using multiple-gateway associations, and propose solutions to handle these challenges. I

A Unified MAC Layer Framework for Ad-hoc Networks with Smart Antennas

Abstract — Smart antennas represent a broad variety of antennas that differ in their performance and transceiver complexity. The superior capabilities of smart antennas, however, can be leveraged only through appropriately designed higher layer network protocols, including at the medium access control (MAC) layer. Although several related works have considered such tailored protocols, they do so in the context of specific antenna technologies. In this paper, we explore the possibility for a unified approach to medium access control in ad-hoc networks with smart antennas. We first present a unified representation of the PHY layer capabilities of the different types of smart antennas, and their relevance to MAC layer design. We then define a unified MAC problem formulation, and derive unified MAC algorithms (both centralized and distributed) from the formulation. Finally, using the algorithms developed, we investigate the relative performance trade-offs of the different technologies under varying network conditions. We also analyze theoretically the performance bounds of the different smart antenna technologies when the available gains are exploited for rate increase and communication range increase. Index Terms — Ad-hoc networks, Medium access control, Smart antenna

Non-pipelined Relay Improves Throughput Performance of Wireless Ad-hoc Networks

Abstract—The communication model typically assumed in wireless ad-hoc networks is based on a traditional “pipelined relay ” (PR) strategy. In PR, an end-to-end flow has multiple outstanding packets (or data units) along the path from the source to the destination. In this paper, we argue that due to several unique properties of wireless ad-hoc networks, PR can be fundamentally improved upon. We present a new non-pipelined relay (nPR) strategy, where end-to-end flows have exactly one outstanding packet (or data unit) along the end-to-end path. We show that nPR has the following properties: (i) Under idealized network conditions, it provides performance improvement, in terms of end-to-end throughput capacity and network transport capacity over PR, and achieves proportional fairness; and (ii) Under practical network conditions, it further increases the above performance improvements, both in terms of the throughputs achieved, and in terms of the fairness between flows. Finally, we present a forwarding protocol that practically realizes nPR. Through analysis and ns2 based packet level simulations, we evaluate the performance of the proposed strategy, and that of the forwarding protocol. I